Seminars

The TOR (Target of Rapamycin) signaling network is a central mechanism for controlling cell growth in eukaryotic organisms in response to a variety of environmental and intracellular cues, including nutrient availability, energy status, growth factors, and stress. This network was discovered through the action of the immunosuppressant and anticancer drug rapamycin, which inhibits the activity of the evolutionarily conserved TOR kinase, a member of the PI3-like kinase family of serine/threonine protein kinases. TOR assembles into two distinct protein complexes, termed TORC1 and TORC2 (mTORC1 and mTORC2 in mammalian cells), wherein TORC1 is uniquely inhibited by rapamycin. These complexes collaborate to regulate diverse cellular functions, including protein synthesis, metabolic regulation, cytoskeletal organization, membrane trafficking, and autophagy. This talk will focus on studies in budding yeast, including the discovery of TORC1 and TORC2 and the elucidation of downstream cellular activities regulated by each complex.