Critical roles of mTORC1 and mTORC2 kinase signaling and glucose metabolism in follicular helper T cell differentiation
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: AbstractFollicular helper T (Tfh) cells are crucial for germinal center (GC) formation and humoral adaptive immunity. Mechanisms underlying Tfh cell differentiation in peripheral and mucosal lymphoid organs are incompletely understood. We report here that mTOR kinase complexes 1 and 2 (mTORC1 and mTORC2) are essential for Tfh cell differentiation and GC reaction under steady state and after antigen immunization and viral infection. Loss of mTORC1 and mTORC2 in T cells exerted distinct effects on Tfh cell signature gene expression, whereas increased mTOR activity promoted Tfh responses. Deficiency of mTORC2 impaired CD4+ T cell accumulation and IgA production, and aberrantly induced Foxo1 transcription factor. Mechanistically, the costimulatory molecule ICOS activated mTORC1 and mTORC2 to drive glycolysis and lipogenesis, and Glut1-mediated glucose metabolism promoted Tfh cell responses. Altogether, mTOR acts as a central node in Tfh cells to link immune signals to glucose metabolism and transcriptional activity.
Project description:The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central regulator of cell growth and proliferation in response to growth factor and nutrient signaling. Consequently, this kinase is implicated in metabolic diseases including cancer and diabetes so there is great interest in understanding mTOR regulatory networks. mTOR exists in two functionally distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, and whereas the natural product rapamycin only inhibits a subset of mTORC1 functions, recently developed ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitors have revealed new roles for both complexes. To examine the complete spectrum of mTOR responsive cellular processes, we compared the transcriptional profiles of mammalian cells treated with rapamycin versus the ATP-competitive inhibitor PP242. Our analysis provides a genome-wide view of the transcriptional outputs of mTOR signaling that are insensitive to rapamycin. Gene expression in mouse NIH3T3 cells was measured after 18 hour treatment with DMSO (control), 50 nM rapamycin, or 2 uM PP242. Four independent experiments were performed for each condition.
Project description:DallePezze2012 - TSC-independent mTORC2
regulation
This model is described in the article:
A dynamic network model of
mTOR signaling reveals TSC-independent mTORC2 regulation.
Dalle Pezze P, Sonntag AG, Thien A,
Prentzell MT, Gödel M, Fischer S, Neumann-Haefelin E, Huber
TB, Baumeister R, Shanley DP, Thedieck K.
Sci Signal 2012 Mar; 5(217): ra25
Abstract:
The kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) exists in
two multiprotein complexes (mTORC1 and mTORC2) and is a central
regulator of growth and metabolism. Insulin activation of
mTORC1, mediated by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and
the inhibitory tuberous sclerosis complex 1/2 (TSC1-TSC2),
initiates a negative feedback loop that ultimately inhibits
PI3K. We present a data-driven dynamic insulin-mTOR network
model that integrates the entire core network and used this
model to investigate the less well understood mechanisms by
which insulin regulates mTORC2. By analyzing the effects of
perturbations targeting several levels within the network in
silico and experimentally, we found that, in contrast to
current hypotheses, the TSC1-TSC2 complex was not a direct or
indirect (acting through the negative feedback loop) regulator
of mTORC2. Although mTORC2 activation required active PI3K,
this was not affected by the negative feedback loop. Therefore,
we propose an mTORC2 activation pathway through a PI3K variant
that is insensitive to the negative feedback loop that
regulates mTORC1. This putative pathway predicts that mTORC2
would be refractory to Akt, which inhibits TSC1-TSC2, and,
indeed, we found that mTORC2 was insensitive to constitutive
Akt activation in several cell types. Our results suggest that
a previously unknown network structure connects mTORC2 to its
upstream cues and clarifies which molecular connectors
contribute to mTORC2 activation.
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Project description:To screen miRNAs specifically regulated by mTORC1 or mTORC2, a global miRNA expression profile in MCF-7 cells treated with rapamycin or PP242 (mTORC1/2 kinase inhibitor) was developed using microarray. control, rapamycin or PP242 treated human MCF-7 cells were harvested 48h post-treatment and subjected to total RNA extraction.
Project description:The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central regulator of cell growth and proliferation in response to growth factor and nutrient signaling. Consequently, this kinase is implicated in metabolic diseases including cancer and diabetes so there is great interest in understanding mTOR regulatory networks. mTOR exists in two functionally distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, and whereas the natural product rapamycin only inhibits a subset of mTORC1 functions, recently developed ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitors have revealed new roles for both complexes. To examine the complete spectrum of mTOR responsive cellular processes, we compared the transcriptional profiles of mammalian cells treated with rapamycin versus the ATP-competitive inhibitor PP242. Our analysis provides a genome-wide view of the transcriptional outputs of mTOR signaling that are insensitive to rapamycin.
Project description:Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating primary brain cancer with a poor prognosis. GBM is associated with an abnormal mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, consisting of two distinct kinase complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. The complexes play critical roles in cell proliferation, survival, migration, metabolism, and DNA damage response. This study investigated the aberrant mTORC2 signaling pathway in GBM cells by performing quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of U87MG cells under different drug treatment conditions. Interestingly, a functional analysis of phosphoproteome revealed that mTORC2 inhibition might be involved in double-strand break (DSB) repair. We further characterized the relationship between mTORC2 and BRISC and BRCA1-A Complex Member 1 (BABAM1). We demonstrated that pBABAM1 at Ser29 is regulated by mTORC2 to initiate DNA damage response, contributing to DNA repair and cancer cell survival. Accordingly, the inactivation of mTORC2 significantly ablated pBABAM1 (Ser29), reduced DNA repair activities in the nucleus, and promoted apoptosis of the cancer cells. Furthermore, we also recognized that histone H2AX phosphorylation at Ser139 (γH2AX) could be controlled by mTORC2 to repair the DNA. These results provided a better understanding of mTORC2 function in oncogenic DNA damage response and might lead to specific mTORC2 treatments for brain cancer patients in the future.
Project description:This model is based on:
Dynamic modeling of signal transduction by mTOR complexes in cancer
Author:
Mohammadreza Dorvash, Mohammad Farahmandnia, Pouria Mosaddeghi, Mitra Farahmandnejad, Hosein Saber, Mohammadhossein Khorraminejad-Shirazi, Amir Azadi, Iman Tavassoly
Abstract:
Signal integration has a crucial role in the cell fate decision and dysregulation of the cellular signaling pathways is a primary characteristic of cancer. As a signal integrator, mTOR shows a complex dynamical behavior which determines the cell fate at different cellular processes levels, including cell cycle progression, cell survival, cell death, metabolic reprogramming, and aging. The dynamics of the complex responses to rapamycin in cancer cells have been attributed to its differential time-dependent inhibitory effects on mTORC1 and mTORC2, the two main complexes of mTOR. Two explanations were previously provided for this phenomenon: 1-Rapamycin does not inhibit mTORC2 directly, whereas it prevents mTORC2 formation by sequestering free mTOR protein (Le Chatelier’s principle). 2-Components like Phosphatidic Acid (PA) further stabilize mTORC2 compared with mTORC1. To understand the mechanism by which rapamycin differentially inhibits the mTOR complexes in the cancer cells, we present a mathematical model of rapamycin mode of action based on the first explanation, i.e., Le Chatelier’s principle. Translating the interactions among components of mTORC1 and mTORC2 into a mathematical model revealed the dynamics of rapamycin action in different doses and time-intervals of rapamycin treatment. This model shows that rapamycin has stronger effects on mTORC1 compared with mTORC2, simply due to its direct interaction with free mTOR and mTORC1, but not mTORC2, without the need to consider other components that might further stabilize mTORC2. Based on our results, even when mTORC2 is less stable compared with mTORC1, it can be less inhibited by rapamycin.
Project description:Effector (Teff) and regulatory (Treg) CD4 T cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to support proliferation and immune function. While Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTORC1 signaling induces the glucose transporter Glut1 and aerobic glycolysis for Teff proliferation and inflammatory function, mechanisms that regulate Treg metabolism and function remain unclear. We show that TLR signals that promote Treg proliferation increase Glut1, PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling, and glycolysis. However, TLR-induced mTORC1 signaling also impaired Treg suppressive capacity. Conversely, FoxP3 opposed PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling to reduce glycolysis and anabolic metabolism while increasing oxidative and catabolic metabolism. Importantly, Glut1 expression was sufficient to increase Treg numbers but reduced suppressive capacity and FoxP3 expression. Thus, inflammatory signals and FoxP3 balance mTORC1 signaling and glucose metabolism to control Treg proliferation and suppressive function.
Project description:To screen miRNAs specifically regulated by mTORC1 or mTORC2, a global miRNA expression profile in MCF-7 cells treated with rapamycin or PP242 (mTORC1/2 kinase inhibitor) was developed using microarray.
Project description:The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway integrates diverse environmental inputs, including immune signals and metabolic cues, to direct T cell fate decisions1. Activation of mTOR, comprised of mTORC1 and mTORC2 complexes, delivers an obligatory signal for proper activation and differentiation of effector CD4+ T cells2,3, whereas in the regulatory T cell (Treg) compartment, the Akt-mTOR axis is widely acknowledged as a crucial negative regulator of Treg de novo differentiation4-8 and population expansion9. However, whether mTOR signaling affects the homeostasis and function of Tregs remains largely unexplored. Here we show that mTORC1 signaling is a pivotal positive determinant of Treg function. Tregs have elevated steady-state mTORC1 activity compared to naïve T cells. Signals via T cell receptor (TCR) and IL-2 provide major inputs for mTORC1 activation, which in turn programs suppressive function of Tregs. Disruption of mTORC1 through Treg-specific deletion of the essential component Raptor leads to a profound loss of Treg suppressive activity in vivo and development of a fatal early-onset inflammatory disorder. Mechanistically, Raptor/mTORC1 signaling in Tregs promotes cholesterol/lipid metabolism, with the mevalonate pathway particularly important for coordinating Treg proliferation and upregulation of suppressive molecules CTLA-4 and ICOS to establish Treg functional competency. In contrast, mTORC1 does not directly impact the expression of Foxp3 or anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines in Tregs, suggesting a non-conventional mechanism for Treg functional regulation. Lastly, we provide evidence that mTORC1 maintains Treg function partly through inhibiting the mTORC2 pathway. Our results demonstrate that mTORC1 acts as a fundamental ‘rheostat’ in Tregs to link immunological signals from TCR and IL-2 to lipogenic pathways and functional fitness, and highlight a central role of metabolic programming of Treg suppressive activity in immune homeostasis and tolerance. We used microarrays to explore the gene expression profiles differentially expressed in regulatory T-cells from wild-type and CD4(cre) x Raptor(fl/fl) mice
Project description:Activated mTORC2/AKT signaling plays a role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Research has shown that TSC/mTORC1 and FOXO1 are distinct downstream effectors of AKT signaling in liver regeneration and metabolism. However, the mechanisms by which these pathways mediate mTORC2/AKT activation in HCC are not yet fully understood. Amplification and activation of c-MYC is a key molecular event in HCC. In this study, we explored the roles of TSC/mTORC1 and FOXO1 as downstream effectors of mTORC2/AKT1 in c-MYC-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Using various genetic approaches in mice, we found that manipulating the FOXO pathway had minimal impact on c-MYC-induced HCC. In contrast, loss of mTORC2 inhibited c-MYC-induced HCC, an effect that was completely reversed by ablating TSC2, which activated mTORC1. Additionally, we discovered that p70/RPS6 and 4EBP1/eIF4E act downstream of mTORC1, regulating distinct molecular pathways. Notably, the 4EBP1/eIF4E cascade is crucial for cell proliferation and glycolysis in c-MYC-induced HCC. We also identified centromere protein M (CENPM) as a downstream target of the TSC2/mTORC1 pathway in c-MYC-driven hepatocarcinogenesis, and its ablation entirely inhibited c-MYC-dependent HCC formation. Our findings demonstrate that the TSC/mTORC1/CENPM pathway, rather than the FOXO cascade, is the primary signaling pathway regulating c-MYC-driven hepatocarcinogenesis. Targeting CENPM holds therapeutic potential for treating c-MYC-driven HCC.