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. 2025 Oct 6;60(19):2544-2557.e7.
doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2025.05.008. Epub 2025 Jun 5.

AKT-mediated phosphorylation of TSC2 controls stimulus- and tissue-specific mTORC1 signaling and organ growth

Yann Cormerais  1 , Samuel C Lapp  1 , Krystle C Kalafut  1 , Madi Y Cissé  1 , Jong Shin  1 , Benjamin Stefadu  1 , Jean Personnaz  2 , Sandra Schrötter  2 , Jessica Freed  2 , Angelica D'Amore  3 , Emma R Martin  3 , Catherine L Salussolia  3 , Mustafa Sahin  3 , Suchithra Menon  2 , Vanessa Byles  2 , Brendan D Manning  4
Affiliations

AKT-mediated phosphorylation of TSC2 controls stimulus- and tissue-specific mTORC1 signaling and organ growth

Yann Cormerais et al. Dev Cell. .

Abstract

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) integrates diverse growth signals to regulate cell and tissue growth. How the molecular mechanisms regulating mTORC1 signaling-established through biochemical and cell biological studies-function under physiological states in specific mammalian tissues is undefined. Here, we characterize a genetic mouse model lacking the five phosphorylation sites on the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) protein through which the growth factor-stimulated protein kinase AKT can activate mTORC1 signaling in cell culture models. These phospho-mutant mice (TSC2-5A) are developmentally normal but exhibit reduced body weight and the weight of specific organs, such as the brain and skeletal muscle, associated with cell-intrinsic decreases in growth factor-stimulated mTORC1 signaling. The TSC2-5A mice demonstrate that TSC2 phosphorylation is a primary mechanism of mTORC1 regulation in response to exogenous signals in some, but not all, tissues and provide a genetic tool to study the physiological regulation of mTORC1.

Keywords: PI3K; RHEB; feeding; insulin; lean mass; lysosome; microcephaly; myotubes; neurons; phosphoinositide 3-kinase.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests M.S. reports grants from Biogen, Astellas, Bridgebio, and Aucta; past Scientific Advisory Boards (SABs) for Roche, SpringWorks, and Alkermes; and current SABs for Neurogene, Jaguar Gene Therapy, and Noema.

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