Tuberous sclerosis--A model for tumour growth.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic disorder where patients develop benign tumours in several organ systems. Central to TSC pathology is hyper-activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling pathway, which is a key controller of cell growth. As a result, TSC model systems are a valuable tool for examining mTORC1-driven cellular processes. The immunosuppressant, rapamycin, is a specific inhibitor of mTORC1 and has shown promise as a therapeutic agent in TSC as well as in malignancy. This review will focus on the cellular processes controlled by mTORC1 and how TSC-deficient cell lines and mouse models have broadened our understanding of the mTORC1 signalling network. It will also discuss how our knowledge of TSC signalling can help us understand sporadic conditions where mTORC1 activity is implicated in disease onset or progression, and the possibility of using rapamycin to treat sporadic disease.

Evaluation of copy number variation and gene expression in neurofibromatosis type-1-associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours.

BACKGROUND: Neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1) is a complex neurogenetic disorder characterised by the development of benign and malignant tumours of the peripheral nerve sheath (MPNSTs). Whilst biallelic NF1 gene inactivation contributes to benign tumour formation, additional cellular changes in gene structure and/or expression are required to induce malignant transformation. Although few molecular profiling studies have been performed on the process of progression of pre-existing plexiform neurofibromas to MPNSTs, the integrated analysis of copy number alterations (CNAs) and gene expression is likely to be key to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying NF1-MPNST tumorigenesis. In a pilot study, we employed this approach to identify genes differentially expressed between benign and malignant NF1 tumours. RESULTS: SPP1 (osteopontin) was the most differentially expressed gene (85-fold increase in expression), compared to benign plexiform neurofibromas. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) knockdown of SPP1 in NF1-MPNST cells reduced tumour spheroid size, wound healing and invasion in four different MPNST cell lines. Seventy-six genes were found to exhibit concordance between CNA and gene expression level. CONCLUSIONS: Pathway analysis of these genes suggested that glutathione metabolism and Wnt signalling may be specifically involved in NF1-MPNST development. SPP1 is associated with malignant transformation in NF1-associated MPNSTs and could prove to be an important target for therapeutic intervention.

Leucine and mTORC1: a complex relationship.

Amino acid availability is a rate-limiting factor in the regulation of protein synthesis. When amino acid supplies become restricted, mammalian cells employ homeostatic mechanisms to rapidly inhibit processes such as protein synthesis, which demands high levels of amino acids. Muscle cells in particular are subject to high protein turnover rates to maintain amino acid homeostasis. Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is an evolutionary conserved multiprotein complex that coordinates a network of signaling cascades and functions as a key mediator of protein translation, gene transcription, and autophagy. Signal transduction through mTORC1, which is centrally involved in muscle growth through enhanced protein translation, is governed by intracellular amino acid supply. The branched-chain amino acid leucine is critical for muscle growth and acts in part through activation of mTORC1. Recent research has revealed that mTORC1 signaling is coordinated primarily at the lysosomal membranes. This discovery has sparked a wealth of research in this field, revealing several different signaling molecules involved in transducing the amino acid signal to mTORC1, including the Rag GTPases, MAP4K3, and Vps34/ULK1. This review evaluates the current knowledge regarding cellular mechanisms that control and sense the intracellular amino acid pool. We discuss the role of leucine and mTORC1 in the regulation of amino acid transport via the system L and system A transporters such as LAT1 and SNAT2, as well as protein degradation via autophagic and proteasomal pathways. We also describe the complexities of energy homeostasis via AMPK and cell receptor-mediated growth signals that also converge on mTORC1. Leucine is a particularly potent regulator of protein turnover, to the extent where leucine stimulation alone is sufficient to stimulate mTORC1 signal transduction. The significance of leucine in this context is not yet known; however, recent advancements in this area will also be covered within this review.

Drug Inhibition of Redox Factor-1 Restores Hypoxia-Driven Changes in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 Deficient Cells.

Therapies with the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitors are not fully curative for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) patients. Here, we propose that some mTORC1-independent disease facets of TSC involve signaling through redox factor-1 (Ref-1). Ref-1 possesses a redox signaling activity that stimulates the transcriptional activity of STAT3, NF-kB, and HIF-1α, which are involved in inflammation, proliferation, angiogenesis, and hypoxia, respectively. Here, we demonstrate that redox signaling through Ref-1 contributes to metabolic transformation and tumor growth in TSC cell model systems. In TSC2-deficient cells, the clinically viable Ref-1 inhibitor APX3330 was effective at blocking the hyperactivity of STAT3, NF-kB, and HIF-1α. While Ref-1 inhibitors do not inhibit mTORC1, they potently block cell invasion and vasculature mimicry. Of interest, we show that cell invasion and vasculature mimicry linked to Ref-1 redox signaling are not blocked by mTORC1 inhibitors. Metabolic profiling revealed that Ref-1 inhibitors alter metabolites associated with the glutathione antioxidant pathway as well as metabolites that are heavily dysregulated in TSC2-deficient cells involved in redox homeostasis. Therefore, this work presents Ref-1 and associated redox-regulated transcription factors such as STAT3, NF-kB, and HIF-1α as potential therapeutic targets to treat TSC, where targeting these components would likely have additional benefits compared to using mTORC1 inhibitors alone.

A tuberous sclerosis complex signalling node at the peroxisome regulates mTORC1 and autophagy in response to ROS.

Subcellular localization is emerging as an important mechanism for mTORC1 regulation. We report that the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) signalling node, TSC1, TSC2 and Rheb, localizes to peroxisomes, where it regulates mTORC1 in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS). TSC1 and TSC2 were bound by peroxisomal biogenesis factors 19 and 5 (PEX19 and PEX5), respectively, and peroxisome-localized TSC functioned as a Rheb GTPase-activating protein (GAP) to suppress mTORC1 and induce autophagy. Naturally occurring pathogenic mutations in TSC2 decreased PEX5 binding, and abrogated peroxisome localization, Rheb GAP activity and suppression of mTORC1 by ROS. Cells lacking peroxisomes were deficient in mTORC1 repression by ROS, and peroxisome-localization-deficient TSC2 mutants caused polarity defects and formation of multiple axons in neurons. These data identify a role for the TSC in responding to ROS at the peroxisome, and identify the peroxisome as a signalling organelle involved in regulation of mTORC1.

Determining the pathogenicity of patient-derived TSC2 mutations by functional characterization and clinical evidence.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic condition characterized by the growth of benign tumours in multiple organs, including the brain and kidneys, alongside intellectual disability and seizures. Identification of a causative mutation in TSC1 or TSC2 is important for accurate genetic counselling in affected families, but it is not always clear from genetic data whether a sequence variant is pathogenic or not. In vitro functional analysis could provide support for determining whether an unclassified TSC1 or TSC2 variant is disease-causing. We have performed a detailed functional analysis of four patient-derived TSC2 mutations, E92V, R505Q, H597R and L1624P. One mutant, E92V, functioned similarly to wild-type TSC2, whereas H597R and L1624P had abnormal function in all assays, consistent with available clinical and segregation information. One TSC2 mutation, R505Q, was identified in a patient with intellectual disability, seizures and autistic spectrum disorder but who did not fulfil the diagnostic criteria for TSC. The R505Q mutation was also found in two relatives, one with mild learning difficulties and one without apparent phenotypic abnormality. R505Q TSC2 exhibited partially disrupted function in our assays. These data highlight the difficulties of assessing pathogenicity of a mutation and suggest that multiple lines of evidence, both genetic and functional, are required to assess the pathogenicity of some mutations.

Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1-mediated phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 requires multiple protein-protein interactions for substrate recognition.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is implicated in a number of human diseases, but the pathway details are not fully understood. Here we elucidate the interactions between various proteins involved in mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1). An in vitro mTORC1 kinase assay approach was used to probe the role of the mTORC1 component Raptor and revealed that certain Raptor mutations disrupt binding to eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) and prevent its subsequent phosphorylation by mTOR. Interestingly, we show that a point mutation in the highly conserved Raptor RNC domain still allows binding to mTOR but prevents Raptor association and mTOR-dependent phosphorylation of 4E-BP1, indicating that this Raptor domain facilitates substrate recognition by mTORC1. This Raptor RNC domain mutant also dominantly inhibits mTORC1 signalling to 4E-BP1, S6K1 and HIF1alpha in vivo. We further characterise the functions of the mTORC1 signalling (TOS) and RAIP motifs of 4E-BP1, which are involved in substrate recognition by Raptor and phosphorylation by mTORC1. We show that an mTOR mutant, L1460P, responds to insulin even in nutrient-deprived conditions and is resistant to inhibition by inactive RagB-RagC heterodimers that mimic nutrient withdrawal suggesting that this region of mTOR is involved in sensing the permissive amino acid input. We found that FKBP38 inhibits mTOR(L1460P), while the mTOR(E2419K) kinase domain mutant was resistant to FKBP38 inhibition. Finally, we show that activation of mTORC1 by both Rheb and RhebL1 is impaired by FKBP38. Our work demonstrates the value of an in vitro mTORC1 kinase assay to characterise cell signalling components of mTORC1 involved in recognition and phosphotransfer to mTORC1 substrates.