title: mTOR couples cellular nutrient sensing to organismal metabolic homeostasis.
abstract: The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) has the ability to sense a variety of essential nutrients and respond by altering cellular metabolic processes. Hence, this protein kinase complex is poised to influence adaptive changes to nutrient fluctuations toward the maintenance of whole-body metabolic homeostasis. Defects in mTORC1 regulation, arising from either physiological or genetic conditions, are believed to contribute to the metabolic dysfunction underlying a variety of human diseases, including type 2 diabetes. We are just now beginning to gain insights into the complex tissue-specific functions of mTORC1. In this review, we detail the current knowledge of the physiological functions of mTORC1 in controlling systemic metabolism, with a focus on advances obtained through genetic mouse models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Brendan D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Manning
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D008660:Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000502:physiology; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020123:Sirolimus