Abstract
The molecular interplay between the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling in the control of cell growth and proliferation has been the subject of much interest and debate amongst cell biologists. A recent escalation of research in this area has come from the discovery of the tuberous sclerosis complex gene products, tuberin and hamartin, as central regulators of mTOR activation. The PI3K effector Akt/protein kinase B has been found to directly phosphorylate tuberin and is thereby thought to activate mTOR through inhibition of the tuberin-hamartin complex. The many recent studies aimed at defining the molecular nature of this revamped PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway are reviewed here. The collective data discussed have laid the groundwork for important new insights into the many cancers caused by aberrant PI3K activation and the clinically challenging tuberous sclerosis complex disease and have suggested a possible means of treatment for both.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
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Review
MeSH terms
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Genes, Tumor Suppressor
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Humans
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics*
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Protein Kinases / genetics*
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Protein Kinases / physiology
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases*
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Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
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Proteins / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
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Repressor Proteins / genetics
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Signal Transduction / genetics
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TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
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Tuberous Sclerosis / enzymology
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Tuberous Sclerosis / genetics*
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Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 1 Protein
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Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 Protein
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Tumor Suppressor Proteins
Substances
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Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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TSC1 protein, human
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TSC2 protein, human
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Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 1 Protein
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Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 Protein
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Tumor Suppressor Proteins
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Protein Kinases
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MTOR protein, human
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Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
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AKT1 protein, human
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
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TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases