Identification of factors involved in the amino acid signaling to mTOR in lysosome and clarification of its functional significance

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19018
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General pharmacology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Okuda Suguru 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (50511846)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: アミノ酸 / トランスポーター / mTOR / 細胞増殖

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To understand the mechanism of cell growth and proliferation induced by amino acids, we sought factors involved in the process, and analyzed an amino acid transporter localizing cell membrane to take amino acids into cells. We successfully determined in which tissue one of the uncharacterized transporters exist, and identified candidates that interacts with the amino acid transporter and may affect its function.

Free Research Field

蛋白質生化学、薬理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アミノ酸輸送体のなかにはその機能が病気に関連するものが多数存在する。例えば、がんにおいては一部のアミノ酸輸送体が正常な細胞より多く存在するため、アミノ酸の取り込みが速く、細胞の成長・増殖も早い。本研究の成果はアミノ酸による細胞成長・増殖の仕組みを解明するために重要な知見であり、将来的には本研究の成果が新たな薬の開発に繋がることが期待される。