Laor D, Cohen A, Pasmanik-Chor M, Oron-Karni V, Kupiec M, Weisman R

TOR proteins reside in two distinct complexes, TOR complex 1 and 2 (TORC1 and TORC2) that are central for the regulation of cellular growth, proliferation and survival. TOR is also the target for the immunosuppressive and anti-cancer drug rapamycin. In Schizosaccharaomyces pombe, disruption of the TSC complex, mutations in which ...

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can lead to the Tuberous Sclerosis syndrome in humans, results in a rapamycin sensitive phenotype under poor nitrogen conditions. We show here that the sensitivity to rapamycin is mediated via inhibition of TORC1 and suppressed by overexpression of isp7(+), a member of the family of 2-oxoglutarate-Fe(II) dependent oxygenases. The transcript level of isp7(+) is negatively regulated by TORC1 but positively regulated by TORC2. Yet, we find extensive similarity between the transcriptome of cells disrupted for isp7(+) and cells mutated in the catalytic subunit of TORC1. Moreover, Isp7 regulates amino acid permease expression similarly to TORC1 and in contrast to TORC2. Overexpression of isp7(+) induces TORC1-dependent phosphorylation of ribosomal protein Rps6, while inhibiting TORC2-dependent phosphorylation and activation of the AGC-like kinase Gad8. Taken together, our findings suggest a central role for Isp7 in amino acid homeostasis and the presence of isp7(+)-dependent regulatory loops that affect both TORC1 and TORC2.

Date: Dec. 16, 2013

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