mTORC1 signaling under hypoxic conditions is controlled by ATM-dependent phosphorylation of HIF-1α.

The mTOR complex-1 (mTORC1) coordinates cell growth and metabolism, acting as a restriction point under stress conditions such as low oxygen tension (hypoxia). Hypoxia suppresses mTORC1 signaling. However, the signals by which hypoxia suppresses mTORC1 are only partially understood, and a direct link between hypoxia-driven physiological stress and the regulation of mTORC1 signaling is unknown. Here we show that hypoxia results in ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent phosphorylation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) on serine(696) and mediates downregulation of mTORC1 signaling. Deregulation of these pathways in pediatric solid tumor xenografts suggests a link between mTORC1 dysregulation and solid tumor development and points to an important role for hypoxic regulation of mTORC1 activity in tumor development.

IRS-1: auditing the effectiveness of mTOR inhibitors.

Rapamycin analogs that inhibit mTOR signaling have antitumor activity against certain lymphomas, but treatment of solid tumors has been less encouraging despite inhibition of mTOR function. Two recent papers give insight into the potential use of mTOR inhibitors. O'Reilly et al. provide evidence that poor tumor response to rapamycins is the result of relieving mTOR-mediated feedback inhibition of insulin receptor substrate 1, and activation of Akt-mediated survival. In the second paper, Kaper et al. address the impact of pathway activation on hypoxia-mediated downregulation of mTOR signaling, raising the possibility that rapalogs could selectively inhibit hypoxic cells.

Negative regulation of ASK1 by p21Cip1 involves a small domain that includes Serine 98 that is phosphorylated by ASK1 in vivo.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(Cip1) regulates multiple cellular functions and protects cells from genotoxic and other cellular stresses. Activation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) induced by inhibition of mTOR signaling leads to sustained phospho-c-Jun that is suppressed in cells with functional p53 or by forced expression of p21(Cip1). Here we show that small deletions of p21(Cip1) around S98 abrogate its association with ASK1 but do not affect binding to Cdk1, hence distinguishing between the cell cycle-regulating functions of p21(Cip1) and its ability to suppress activation of the ASK1/Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) pathway. p21(Cip1) is phosphorylated in vitro by both ASK1 and JNK1 at S98. In vivo phosphorylation of p21(Cip1), predominantly carried out by ASK1, is associated with binding to ASK1 and inactivation of ASK1 kinase function. Binding of p21(Cip1) to ASK1 requires ASK1 kinase function and may involve phosphorylation of S98.

Virtual docking approaches to protein kinase B inhibition.

We examined some in silico approaches to identify Akt (protein kinase B) inhibitors. Experimental validation of selected compounds was achieved using a fluorescence-based enzymatic assay and a substrate phosphorylation assay involving the protein GSK-3. We report on success and failure obtained by using several strategies including FlexX, GOLD, and CSCORE, where the 100-200 top-scoring compounds from a 50000-compound library were experimentally tested. This study led to the identification of low micromolar Akt1 inhibitors.

Protection from rapamycin-induced apoptosis by insulin-like growth factor-I is partially dependent on protein kinase C signaling.

Rapamycin-induced apoptosis in sarcoma cells is inhibited by insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) through a signaling pathway independent of Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Akt. IGF-I induces Bad phosphorylation (Ser112, Ser136, and Ser155) in a pathway involving phosphoinositide 3' kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase C (PKC; mu, epsilon, or theta) resulting in sequestering Bad from mitochondria and subsequently interacting with 14-3-3gamma in the cytosol. Gene knockdown of Bad, Bid, Akt1, Akt2, PKC-mu, PKC-epsilon, or PKC-theta was achieved by transient transfection using small interfering RNAs. Results indicate that IGF-I signaling to Bad requires activation of PI3K and PKC (mu, theta, epsilon) but not mTOR, Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, protein kinase A, or p90(RSK). Wortmannin blocked the phosphorylation of PKC-mu (Ser744/Ser748), suggesting that PI3K is required for the activation of PKCs. PKCs phosphorylate Bad under in vitro conditions, and the association of phosphorylated Bad with PKC-mu or PKC-epsilon, as shown by immunoprecipitation, indicated direct involvement of PKCs in Bad phosphorylation. To confirm these results, cells overexpressing pEGFP-N1, wt-Bad, or Bad with a single site mutated (Ser112Ala; Ser136Ala; Ser155Ala), two sites mutated (Ser(112/136)Ala; Ser(112/155)Ala; Ser(136/155)Ala), or the triple mutant were tested. IGF-I protected completely against rapamycin-induced apoptosis in cells overexpressing wt-Bad and mutants having either one or two sites of phosphorylation mutated. Knockdown of Bid using small interfering RNA showed that Bid is not required for rapamycin-induced cell death. Collectively, these data suggest that IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of Bad at multiple sites via a pathway involving PI3K and PKCs is important for protecting sarcoma cells from rapamycin-induced apoptosis.

The protein tyrosine phosphatase, Shp2, is required for the complete activation of the RAS/MAPK pathway by brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and other neurotrophins induce a unique prolonged activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) compared with growth factors. Characterization and kinetic and spatial modeling of the signaling pathways underlying this prolonged MAPK activation by BDNF will be important in understanding the physiological role of BDNF in many complex systems in the nervous system. In addition to Shc, fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2 (FRS2) is required for the BDNF-induced activation of MAPK. BDNF induces phosphorylation of FRS2. However, BDNF does not induce phosphorylation of FRS2 in cells expressing a deletion mutant of TrkB (TrkBDeltaPTB) missing the juxtamembrane NPXY motif. This motif is the binding site for SHC. NPXY is the consensus sequence for phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains, and notably, FRS2 and SHC contain PTB domains. This NPXY motif, which contains tyrosine 484 of TrkB, is therefore the binding site for both FRS2 and SHC. Moreover, the proline containing region (VIENP) of the NPXY motif is also required for FRS2 and SHC phosphorylation, which indicates this region is an important component of FRS2 and SHC recognition by TrkB. Previously, we had found that the phosphorylation of FRS2 induces association of FRS2 and growth factor receptor binding protein 2 (Grb2). Now, we have intriguing data that indicates BDNF induces association of the SH2 domain containing protein tyrosine phosphatase, Shp2, with FRS2. Moreover, the PTB association motif of TrkB containing tyrosine 484 is required for the BDNF-induced association of Shp2 with FRS2 and the phosphorylation of Shp2. These results imply that FRS2 and Shp2 are in a BDNF signaling pathway. Shp2 is required for complete MAPK activation by BDNF, as expression of a dominant negative Shp2 in cells attenuates BDNF-induced activation of MAPK. Moreover, expression of a dominant negative Shp2 attenuates Ras activation showing that the protein tyrosine phosphatase is required for complete activation of MAPKs by BDNF. In conclusion, Shp2 regulates BDNF signaling through the MAPK pathway by regulating either Ras directly or alternatively, by signaling components upstream of Ras. Characterization of MAPK signaling controlled by BDNF is likely to be required to understand the complex physiological role of BDNF in neuronal systems ranging from the regulation of neuronal growth and survival to the regulation of synapses.

Identification of N10-substituted phenoxazines as potent and specific inhibitors of Akt signaling.

A series of 30 N10-substituted phenoxazines were synthesized and screened as potential inhibitors of Akt. In cellular assays at 5 mum, 17 compounds inhibited insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I)-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt (Ser-473) by at least 50% but did not inhibit IGF-I-stimulated phosphorylation of Erk-1/2 (Thr-202/Tyr-204). Substitutions at the 2-position (Cl or CF3) did not alter inhibitory activity, whereas N10-substitutions with derivatives having acetyl (20B) or morpholino (12B) side chain lost activity compared with propyl or butyl substituents (7B and 14B). Inhibition of Akt phosphorylation was associated with the inhibition of IGF-I stimulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin phosphorylation (Ser-2448 and Ser-2481), phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase (Thr-389), and ribosomal protein S6 (Ser-235/236) in Rh1, Rh18, and Rh30 cell lines. The two most potent compounds 10-[4'-(N-diethylamino)butyl]-2-chlorophenoxazine (10B) and 10-[4'-[(beta-hydroxyethyl)piperazino]butyl]-2-chlorophenoxazine (15B) (in vitro, IC50 approximately 1-2 microM) were studied further. Inhibition of Akt phosphorylation correlated with inhibition of its kinase activity as determined in vitro after immunoprecipitation. Akt inhibitory phenoxazines did not inhibit the activity of recombinant phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, PDK1, or SGK1 but potently inhibited the kinase activity of recombinant Akt and Akt deltaPH, a mutant lacking the pleckstrin homology domain. Akt inhibitory phenoxazines blocked IGF-I-stimulated nuclear translocation of Akt in Rh1 cells and suppressed growth of Rh1, Rh18, and Rh30 cells (IC50 2-5 microM), whereas "inactive" derivatives were > or = 10-fold less potent inhibitors of cell growth. In contrast to rapamycin analogs, Akt inhibitory phenoxazines induced significant levels of apoptosis under serum-containing culture conditions at concentrations of agent consistent with Akt inhibition. Thus, the cellular responses to phenoxazine inhibitors of Akt appear qualitatively different from the rapamycin analogs. Modeling studies suggest inhibitory phenoxazines may bind in the ATP-binding site, although ATP competition studies were unable to distinguish between competitive and noncompetitive inhibition.

Therapeutic potential of target of rapamycin inhibitors.

Target of rapamycin (TOR) functions within the cell as a transducer of information from various sources, including growth factors, energy sensors, and hypoxia sensors, as well as components of the cell regulating growth and division. Blocking TOR function mimics amino acid, and to some extent, growth factor deprivation and has a cytostatic effect on proliferating cells in vivo. Inhibition of TOR in vivo, utilising its namesake rapamycin, leads to immunosuppression. This property has been exploited successfully with the use of rapamycin and its derivatives as a therapeutic agent in the prevention of organ rejection after transplantation with relatively mild side effects when compared to other immunosuppressive agents. The cytostatic effect of TOR on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation has also recently been exploited in the therapeutic application of rapamycin to drug eluting stents for angioplasty. These stents significantly reduce the amount of arterial reblockage that results from proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells. In cancer, the effect of blocking TOR function on tumour growth and disease progression is currently of major interest and is the basis for a number of ongoing clinical trials. However, different cell types and tumours respond differently to TOR inhibition, and TOR is clearly not cytostatic for all types of cancer cells in vitro or in vivo. As the molecular details of how TOR functions and the targets of TOR activity are further elucidated, tumour and tissue specific functions are being identified that implicate TOR in angiogenesis, apoptosis, and the reversal of some forms of cellular transformation. This review will describe our current understanding of TOR function, describe the current strategies for employing TOR inhibitors in clinical and preclinical development, and outline future strategies for appropriate targets of TOR inhibitors in the treatment of disease.