Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Oncogene. 2013 Sep 26;32(39):4702-11. doi: 10.1038/onc.2012.481. Epub 2012 Oct 29.
The protein complex of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)1 and TSC2 tumor suppressors is a key negative regulator of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Hyperactive mTOR signaling due to the loss-of-function of mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2 gene causes TSC, an autosomal dominant disorder featured with benign tumors in multiple organs. As the ubiquitous second messenger calcium (Ca(2+)) regulates various cellular processes involved in tumorigenesis, we explored the potential role of mTOR in modulation of cellular Ca(2+) homeostasis, and in turn the effect of Ca(2+) signaling in TSC-related tumor development. We found that loss of Tsc2 potentiated store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) in an mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependent way. The endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) sensor, stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), was upregulated in Tsc2-deficient cells, and was suppressed by mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin. In addition, SOCE repressed AKT1 phosphorylation. Blocking SOCE either by depleting STIM1 or ectopically expressing dominant-negative Orai1 accelerated TSC-related tumor development, likely because of restored AKT1 activity and enhanced tumor angiogenesis. Our data, therefore, suggest that mTORC1 enhancement of store-operated Ca(2+) signaling hinders TSC-related tumor growth through suppression of AKT1 signaling. The augmented SOCE by hyperactive mTORC1-STIM1 cascade may contribute to the benign nature of TSC-related tumors. Application of SOCE agonists could thus be a contraindication for TSC patients. In contrast, SOCE agonists should attenuate mTOR inhibitors-mediated AKT reactivation and consequently potentiate their efficacy in the treatment of the patients with TSC.
结节性硬化症复合物 (TSC)1 和 TSC2 肿瘤抑制蛋白复合物是哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白 (mTOR) 的关键负调控因子。由于 TSC1 或 TSC2 基因突变失活导致 mTOR 信号过度活跃,从而引发 TSC,这是一种常染色体显性遗传病,其特征是多个器官存在良性肿瘤。由于普遍存在的第二信使钙 (Ca(2+)) 调节与肿瘤发生相关的各种细胞过程,我们探讨了 mTOR 在调节细胞 Ca(2+) 稳态中的潜在作用,以及 Ca(2+) 信号在 TSC 相关肿瘤发展中的作用。我们发现 Tsc2 的缺失以 mTOR 复合物 1 (mTORC1) 依赖的方式增强了储存操作的 Ca(2+) 内流 (SOCE)。内质网 Ca(2+) 传感器基质相互作用分子 1 (STIM1) 在 Tsc2 缺陷细胞中上调,并被 mTORC1 抑制剂雷帕霉素抑制。此外,SOCE 抑制 AKT1 磷酸化。通过耗尽 STIM1 或异位表达显性失活的 Orai1 阻断 SOCE 加速了 TSC 相关肿瘤的发展,这可能是由于 AKT1 活性恢复和肿瘤血管生成增强所致。因此,我们的数据表明,mTORC1 增强储存操作的 Ca(2+) 信号通过抑制 AKT1 信号来阻碍 TSC 相关肿瘤的生长。过度活跃的 mTORC1-STIM1 级联反应增强的 SOCE 可能导致 TSC 相关肿瘤的良性性质。因此,SOCE 激动剂的应用可能成为 TSC 患者的禁忌症。相反,SOCE 激动剂应该减弱 mTOR 抑制剂介导的 AKT 再激活,从而增强其在治疗 TSC 患者中的疗效。