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Role of mTOR in the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism

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Abstract

The mTOR enzyme belongs to the specific serine/threonine protein kinase family and plays an important role in extracellular signal transduction by phosphorylating many substrates in various metabolic pathways of the human body. The mTOR protein possessing protein kinase activity is encoded by the FRAP1 gene, which is located on chromosome 1 (1p36.2). In skeletal muscles, mTOR occurs as a component of two protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, which differ in sensitivity to the inhibitory effect of rapamycin. To regulate metabolism in skeletal muscles, mTOR phosphorylates various protein metabolism enzymes, transcription factors, and translation factors. Expression of mTOR is triggered in response to changes in metabolic demand of the muscle cell and intensifies protein metabolism. Studies of the past years showed that mTOR plays an important role in regulating intracellular metabolism, acting primarily at initiation and synthesis of muscle proteins. The review considers the current data on the role of mTOR in regulating the physiological function in skeletal muscles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. St. Petersburg Research Institute of Physical Culture, St. Petersburg, Russia

    N. D. Golberg, A. M. Druzhevskaya, V. A. Rogozkin & I. I. Ahmetov

  2. Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism, Kazan, Russia

    I. I. Ahmetov

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  1. N. D. Golberg
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  2. A. M. Druzhevskaya
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  3. V. A. Rogozkin
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  4. I. I. Ahmetov
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Correspondence to N. D. Golberg.

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Original Russian Text © N.D. Golberg, A.M. Druzhevskaya, V.A. Rogozkin, I.I. Ahmetov, 2014, published in Fiziologiya Cheloveka, 2014, Vol. 40, No. 5, pp. 123–132.

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Golberg, N.D., Druzhevskaya, A.M., Rogozkin, V.A. et al. Role of mTOR in the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism. Hum Physiol 40, 580–588 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119714040070

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