mTOR Signaling Pathway

The mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a critical serine/threonine kinase that integrates environmental signals—including nutrients, energy, and growth factors to regulate cell growth and metabolism. mTOR functions within two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, which are defined by their unique accessory proteins and downstream targets.

Mapping of the mTOR signalling landscape has revealed that mTOR controls biomass accumulation and metabolism by modulating key cellular processes, including protein synthesis and autophagy. Discoveries that have been made over the last decade show that the mTOR pathway is activated during various cellular processes (e.g. tumor formation and angiogenesis, insulin resistance, adipogenesis and T-lymphocyte activation) and is deregulated in human diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes. 

mTOR is a serine/threonine protein kinase in the PI3K-related kinase (PIKK) family that forms the catalytic subunit of two distinct protein complexes, known as mTOR Complex 1 (mTORC1) and 2 (mTORC2). mTORC1 functions as a downstream effector for many frequently mutated oncogenic pathways including the PI3K/Akt pathway as well as the Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk ‎ (MAPK) pathway, resulting in mTORC1 hyperactivation in a high percentage of human cancers.

Our highly validated antibodies cover the full spectrum of mTOR signaling, from upstream sensors like TSC1/2 to central complex components.