NUAK1 coordinates growth factor-dependent activation of mTORC2 and Akt signaling.

Background: mTORC2 is a critical regulator of cytoskeleton organization, cell proliferation, and cancer cell survival. Activated mTORC2 induces maximal activation of Akt by phosphorylation of Ser-473, but regulation of Akt activity and signaling crosstalk upon growth factor stimulation are still unclear.

Results: We identified that NUAK1 regulates growth factor-dependent activation of Akt by two mechanisms.