mTOR's role in ageing: protein synthesis or autophagy?
The molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate ageing are currently under scrutiny because ageing is linked to many human diseases. The nutrient sensing TOR pathway is emerging as a key regulator of ageing. TOR signaling is complex affecting several crucial cellular functions and two such functions, which show clear effects on ageing, are protein synthesis and autophagy. In this article we discuss the relative importance of both these processes in ageing, identify how TOR regulates translation and autophagy and speculate on links between the TOR signaling network and ageing pathways.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Boldrewood Campus, Basset Crescent East, SO16 7PX, UK.
Sarah L
SL
Hands
Christopher G
CG
Proud
Andreas
A
Wyttenbach
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases