mTORC1 is essential for leukemia propagation but not stem cell self-renewal
01 Jun 2012-Journal of Clinical Investigation (American Society for Clinical Investigation)-Vol. 122, Iss: 6, pp 2114-2129
TL;DR: Transplantation of Raptor-deficient undifferentiated AML cells in a limiting dilution revealed that mTORC1 is essential for leukemia initiation, and it was demonstrated that the reactivation of m TORC1 in those cells restored their leukemia-initiating capacity.
Abstract: Although dysregulation of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) promotes leukemogenesis, how mTORC1 affects established leukemia is unclear. We investigated the role of mTORC1 in mouse hematopoiesis using a mouse model of conditional deletion of Raptor, an essential component of mTORC1. Raptor deficiency impaired granulocyte and B cell development but did not alter survival or proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. In a mouse model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Raptor deficiency significantly suppressed leukemia progression by causing apoptosis of differentiated, but not undifferentiated, leukemia cells. mTORC1 did not control cell cycle or cell growth in undifferentiated AML cells in vivo. Transplantation of Raptor-deficient undifferentiated AML cells in a limiting dilution revealed that mTORC1 is essential for leukemia initiation. Strikingly, a subset of AML cells with undifferentiated phenotypes survived long-term in the absence of mTORC1 activity. We further demonstrated that the reactivation of mTORC1 in those cells restored their leukemia-initiating capacity. Thus, AML cells lacking mTORC1 activity can self-renew as AML stem cells. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into how residual tumor cells circumvent anticancer therapies and drive tumor recurrence.
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01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: It is found that dual mTORC1/mTORC2 inhibitors sensitize T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia and rhabdomyosarcoma cells to DNA damaging agents by suppression of expression of FANCD2 of the Fanconi anemia pathway, an important DNA repair mechanism that is associated with drug resistance of multiple types of cancer.
Abstract: mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase and plays a critical role in mammalian cell growth, survival, and metabolism. mTOR is present in two cellular complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway has been related to tumorigenesis, poor prognosis and/ or chemotherapy resistance in a variety of malignancies. Inhibition of mTORC1 by Rapamycin and its analogs has been explored to treat a number of tumors. However, the effectiveness of patient response is limited and not all patients respond. Second generation of mTOR inhibitors have recently been developed to target mTOR kinase activity and to suppress both mTORC1 and mTORC2. Dual mTORC1/ mTORC2 inhibitors generally are more efficacious in preclinical studies and clinical trials. We and others have recently found that dual mTORC1/mTORC2 inhibitors sensitize T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia and rhabdomyosarcoma cells to DNA damaging agents by suppression of expression of FANCD2 of the Fanconi anemia pathway, an important DNA repair mechanism that is associated with drug resistance of multiple types of cancer. This review will highlight mTOR and the Fanconi anemia pathway in cancer, with a particular attention to our newly discovered connection between mTOR and the Fanconi anemia pathway.
6 citations
Cites background from "mTORC1 is essential for leukemia pr..."
...The critical role of mTOR is attested by the lethality of mice harboring full-body knockout of mTOR and by tissue-specific knockout of mTOR complex components [4-24]....
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TL;DR: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 ( mTORC1) enhances protein translation by deactivating the translation inhibitor 4E-BP1 and phosphorylating p70S6K, which stimulates the initiation of protein translation in mice.
Abstract: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) enhances protein translation by deactivating the translation inhibitor 4E-BP1 and phosphorylating p70S6K, which stimulates the initiation of ...
5 citations
Cites background from "mTORC1 is essential for leukemia pr..."
...leukemia cells, suppressed leukemia propagation, but did not affect stem cell renewal capacity [4]....
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TL;DR: The findings indicated that genetic variants within mTORC1 genes may predict GC prognosis in Chinese populations, and need to be validated in future studies with larger sample sizes.
Abstract: Objective: Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) plays an important role in maintaining proper cellular functions in gastric cancer (GC). Previous studies demonstrated genetic variants within mTORC1 genes were associated with GC risk. However, no studies reported the associations between genetic variants within mTORC1 genes and GC prognosis. Herein, we firstly assessed the associations of genetic variants of mTORC1 genes with overall survival (OS) of GC in Chinese populations. Methods: We genotyped eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mTORC1 genes (i.e., rs2536 T>C and rs1883965 G>A for mTOR, rs3160 T>C and rs26865 A>G for MLST8, rs3751934 C>A, rs1062935 T>C, rs3751932 T>C and rs12602885 G>A for RPTOR) by the TaqMan method in 197 Chinese GC patients who had surgical resection in Xinhua Hospital. We conducted Kaplan-Meier survival plots and Cox hazards regression analysis to explore the associations of these SNPs with OS. Results: The single-locus analysis indicated that RPTOR rs1062935 T>C was associated with an increased risk of poor GC prognosis (CC vs. TT/TC: adjusted Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-2.82). The combined analysis of all eight SNPs showed that patients with more than three risk genotypes significantly increased risk of death (adjusted HR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.30-4.58), when compared to those with three or less risk genotypes. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that genetic variants within mTORC1 genes may predict GC prognosis in Chinese populations. The results need to be validated in future studies with larger sample sizes.
5 citations
TL;DR: Current research regarding venetoclax treatment and resistance in AML with a focus on cellular metabolism is highlighted and Alterations in leukemic stem cell metabolism have been identified as a possible escape route.
Abstract: Spurred by better understanding of disease biology, improvements in molecular diagnostics, and the development of targeted therapies, the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has undergone significant evolution in recent years. Arguably, the most exciting shift has come from the success of treatment with the B-cell lymphoma-2 inhibitor venetoclax. When given in combination with a hypomethylating agent or low dose cytarabine, venetoclax demonstrates high response rates, some of which are durable. In spite of this, relapses after venetoclax treatment are common, and much interest exists in elucidating the mechanisms of resistance to the drug. Alterations in leukemic stem cell metabolism have been identified as a possible escape route, and clinical trials focusing on targeting metabolism in AML are ongoing. This review article highlights current research regarding venetoclax treatment and resistance in AML with a focus on cellular metabolism.
5 citations
TL;DR: While mTORC1 plays a fundamental role in promoting RBC development, it is shown that m TORC2 has an opposing role, as Rictor-deficient progenitor cells exhibited an elevation in RBC colony formation ex vivo.
Abstract: Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that mediates phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signalling. This pathway is involved in a plethora of cellular functions including protein and lipid synthesis, cell migration, cell proliferation and apoptosis. In this study, we proposed to delineate the role of mTORC1 in haemopoietic lineage commitment using knock out (KO) mouse and cell line models. Mx1-cre and Vav-cre expression systems were used to specifically target Raptorfl/fl (mTORC1), either in all tissues upon poly(I:C) inoculation, or specifically in haemopoietic stem cells, respectively. Assessment of the role of mTORC1 during the early stages of development in Vav-cre+Raptorfl/fl mice, revealed that these mice do not survive post birth due to aberrations in erythropoiesis resulting from an arrest in development at the megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitor stage. Furthermore, Raptor-deficient mice exhibited a block in B cell lineage commitment. The essential role of Raptor (mTORC1) in erythrocyte and B lineage commitment was confirmed in adult Mx1-cre+Raptorfl/fl mice upon cre-recombinase induction. These studies were supported by results showing that the expression of key lineage commitment regulators, GATA1, GATA2 and PAX5 were dysregulated in the absence of mTORC1-mediated signals. The regulatory role of mTOR during erythropoiesis was confirmed in vitro by demonstrating a reduction of K562 cell differentiation towards RBCs in the presence of established mTOR inhibitors. While mTORC1 plays a fundamental role in promoting RBC development, we showed that mTORC2 has an opposing role, as Rictor-deficient progenitor cells exhibited an elevation in RBC colony formation ex vivo. Collectively, our data demonstrate a critical role played by mTORC1 in regulating the haemopoietic cell lineage commitment.
5 citations
References
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TL;DR: Stem cell biology has come of age: Unequivocal proof that stem cells exist in the haematopoietic system has given way to the prospective isolation of several tissue-specific stem and progenitor cells, the initial delineation of their properties and expressed genetic programmes, and the beginnings of their utility in regenerative medicine.
Abstract: Stem cell biology has come of age. Unequivocal proof that stem cells exist in the haematopoietic system has given way to the prospective isolation of several tissue-specific stem and progenitor cells, the initial delineation of their properties and expressed genetic programmes, and the beginnings of their utility in regenerative medicine. Perhaps the most important and useful property of stem cells is that of self-renewal. Through this property, striking parallels can be found between stem cells and cancer cells: tumours may often originate from the transformation of normal stem cells, similar signalling pathways may regulate self-renewal in stem cells and cancer cells, and cancer cells may include 'cancer stem cells' - rare cells with indefinite potential for self-renewal that drive tumorigenesis.
8,999 citations
TL;DR: It is reported that mTOR forms a stoichiometric complex with raptor, an evolutionarily conserved protein with at least two roles in the mTOR pathway that through its association with mTOR regulates cell size in response to nutrient levels.
2,902 citations
"mTORC1 is essential for leukemia pr..." refers result in this paper
...Although mTORC1 reportedly controls cell size (cell growth) (34), we did not observe a decrease in the size of our Raptor-deficient AML cells (Figure 6B), and we found that the amount of protein per cell was comparable in control and Raptor-deficient AML stem cells (Figure 6, C and D)....
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TL;DR: It is shown that rapamycin inhibits the assembly of mTORC2 and that, in many cell types, prolongedRapamycin treatment reduces the levels of m TORC2 below those needed to maintain Akt/PKB signaling.
2,621 citations
"mTORC1 is essential for leukemia pr..." refers background in this paper
...We found that Raptor deficiency did not affect the expression level of Rictor, an essential component of mTORC2, but it is possible that long-term inactivation of mTORC1 in Raptordeficient AML cells affects the assembly and activity of mTORC2, leading to inhibition of AKT, in the same manner as prolonged rapamycin treatment (49)....
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...On the other hand, prolonged rapamycin treatment is reported to suppress AKT via the disassembly of the mTORC2 complex in certain cell types (49)....
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TL;DR: The data suggest that feedback down-regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling is a frequent event in tumor cells with constitutive mTOR activation, and reversal of this feedback loop by rapamycin may attenuate its therapeutic effects, whereas combination therapy that ablates mTOR function and prevents Akt activation may have improved antitumor activity.
Abstract: Stimulation of the insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptor activates the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt/mTOR pathway causing pleiotropic cellular effects including an mTOR-dependent loss in insulin receptor substrate-1 expression leading to feedback down-regulation of signaling through the pathway. In model systems, tumors exhibiting mutational activation of phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt kinase, a common event in cancers, are hypersensitive to mTOR inhibitors, including rapamycin. Despite the activity in model systems, in patients, mTOR inhibitors exhibit more modest antitumor activity. We now show that mTOR inhibition induces insulin receptor substrate-1 expression and abrogates feedback inhibition of the pathway, resulting in Akt activation both in cancer cell lines and in patient tumors treated with the rapamycin derivative, RAD001. IGF-I receptor inhibition prevents rapamycin-induced Akt activation and sensitizes tumor cells to inhibition of mTOR. In contrast, IGF-I reverses the antiproliferative effects of rapamycin in serum-free medium. The data suggest that feedback down-regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling is a frequent event in tumor cells with constitutive mTOR activation. Reversal of this feedback loop by rapamycin may attenuate its therapeutic effects, whereas combination therapy that ablates mTOR function and prevents Akt activation may have improved antitumor activity.
2,423 citations
"mTORC1 is essential for leukemia pr..." refers background in this paper
...org Volume 122 Number 6 June 2012 (32, 33), neither Raptor deficiency nor rapamycin resulted in hyperphosphorylation of AKT (S473) (Figure 6A and Supplemental Fig-...
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TL;DR: Recent findings on the regulators and effectors of mTOR are highlighted and specific cases that serve as paradigms for the different modes of m TOR regulation and its control of translation are discussed.
Abstract: The process of translation requires substantial cellular resources. Cells have therefore evolved complex mechanisms to control overall protein synthesis as well as the translation of specific mRNAs that are crucial for cell growth and proliferation. At the heart of this process is the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway, which senses and responds to nutrient availability, energy sufficiency, stress, hormones and mitogens to modulate protein synthesis. Here, we highlight recent findings on the regulators and effectors of mTOR and discuss specific cases that serve as paradigms for the different modes of mTOR regulation and its control of translation.
2,328 citations
"mTORC1 is essential for leukemia pr..." refers background in this paper
...These target molecules control cell growth (size) and proliferation by modifying protein translation (1)....
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