A key regulator of cell growth deciphered
The mTOR protein plays a central role in cell growth, proliferation and survival. Its activity varies according to the availability of nutrients and some growth factors, including hormones. This protein is implicated in several diseases, including cancer, where its activity frequently increases.
To better understand its regulation, the group of Professor Robbie Loewith from the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department and the Chemical Biology Department, in collaboration with researchers from the Martin Luther University (MLU) of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany, and the recently inaugurated Dubochet Center for Imaging (DCI-Geneva - DCI-Lausanne), has identified the structure of the SEA complex - an interdependent set of proteins - responsible for controlling mTOR. The discovery of this structure allows a better understanding of how cells perceive nutrient levels to regulate their growth. This work can be read in the journal Nature.
The article was published in the Journal Nature on October 26, 2022.
Read the UNIGE press release.
Le complexe SEA est composé d’un noyau en forme de cage (SEACAT, bleu) qui régule l’activité des ailes (SEACIT, blanc et brillant). ©Ciencia Graficada
27 Oct 2022