Selective inhibitors of mTORC1 activate 4EBP1 and suppress tumor growth.

The clinical benefits of pan-mTOR active-site inhibitors are limited by toxicity and relief of feedback inhibition of receptor expression. To address these limitations, we designed a series of compounds that selectively inhibit mTORC1 and not mTORC2. These 'bi-steric inhibitors' comprise a rapamycin-like core moiety covalently linked to an mTOR active-site inhibitor.

Enhanced translation expands the endo-lysosome size and promotes antigen presentation during phagocyte activation.

The mechanisms that govern organelle adaptation and remodelling remain poorly defined. The endo-lysosomal system degrades cargo from various routes, including endocytosis, phagocytosis, and autophagy. For phagocytes, endosomes and lysosomes (endo-lysosomes) are kingpin organelles because they are essential to kill pathogens and process and present antigens.

Translational and HIF-1α-Dependent Metabolic Reprogramming Underpin Metabolic Plasticity and Responses to Kinase Inhibitors and Biguanides.

There is increasing interest in therapeutically exploiting metabolic differences between normal and cancer cells. We show that kinase inhibitors (KIs) and biguanides synergistically and selectively target a variety of cancer cells. Synthesis of non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) aspartate, asparagine, and serine, as well as glutamine metabolism, are major determinants of the efficacy of KI/biguanide combinations.

mTORC1 and CK2 coordinate ternary and eIF4F complex assembly.

Ternary complex (TC) and eIF4F complex assembly are the two major rate-limiting steps in translation initiation regulated by eIF2α phosphorylation and the mTOR/4E-BP pathway, respectively. How TC and eIF4F assembly are coordinated, however, remains largely unknown. We show that mTOR suppresses translation of mRNAs activated under short-term stress wherein TC recycling is attenuated by eIF2α phosphorylation.

nanoCAGE reveals 5' UTR features that define specific modes of translation of functionally related MTOR-sensitive mRNAs.

The diversity of MTOR-regulated mRNA translation remains unresolved. Whereas ribosome-profiling suggested that MTOR almost exclusively stimulates translation of the TOP (terminal oligopyrimidine motif) and TOP-like mRNAs, polysome-profiling indicated that MTOR also modulates translation of mRNAs without the 5' TOP motif (non-TOP mRNAs). We demonstrate that in ribosome-profiling studies, detection of MTOR-dependent changes in non-TOP mRNA translation was obscured by low sensitivity and methodology biases.

Polysome fractionation and analysis of mammalian translatomes on a genome-wide scale.

mRNA translation plays a central role in the regulation of gene expression and represents the most energy consuming process in mammalian cells. Accordingly, dysregulation of mRNA translation is considered to play a major role in a variety of pathological states including cancer. Ribosomes also host chaperones, which facilitate folding of nascent polypeptides, thereby modulating function and stability of newly synthesized polypeptides.

mTORC1 controls mitochondrial activity and biogenesis through 4E-BP-dependent translational regulation.

mRNA translation is thought to be the most energy-consuming process in the cell. Translation and energy metabolism are dysregulated in a variety of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. However, the mechanisms that coordinate translation and energy metabolism in mammals remain largely unknown.

Degradation of newly synthesized polypeptides by ribosome-associated RACK1/c-Jun N-terminal kinase/eukaryotic elongation factor 1A2 complex.

Folding of newly synthesized polypeptides (NSPs) into functional proteins is a highly regulated process. Rigorous quality control ensures that NSPs attain their native fold during or shortly after completion of translation. Nonetheless, signaling pathways that govern the degradation of NSPs in mammals remain elusive.

A dominant-negative mutation in the TRESK potassium channel is linked to familial migraine with aura.

Migraine with aura is a common, debilitating, recurrent headache disorder associated with transient and reversible focal neurological symptoms. A role has been suggested for the two-pore domain (K2P) potassium channel, TWIK-related spinal cord potassium channel (TRESK, encoded by KCNK18), in pain pathways and general anaesthesia. We therefore examined whether TRESK is involved in migraine by screening the KCNK18 gene in subjects diagnosed with migraine.