植物TOR激酶响应上游信号的研究进展

Novel Links in the Plant Target of Rapamycin Signaling Networks

雷帕霉素靶蛋白(TOR)是真核生物中高度保守的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶,能整合营养、能量、生长因子及环境信号,协调细胞增殖、生长和代谢等过程,是真核生物生长发育的核心调控因子。近年来,随着相关研究系统的建立,植物TOR的功能和机制研究取得了众多突破,发现其进化上保守的生物学功能及植物中特有的信号通路。该文概述了TOR蛋白复合体的构成,以及植物TOR响应糖、营养元素(氮、磷和硫)、激素及逆境胁迫信号来调控下游基因转录、蛋白翻译、代谢、细胞自噬和胁迫应答等生物学过程的分子机制,并提出了植物TOR领域一些亟待解决的科学问题,以期为全面揭示植物TOR的生物学功能提供参考。

Target of rapamycin(TOR) is a highly conserved serine/threonine-protein kinase among all eukaryotes. As a central regulator, TOR integrates nutrient, energy, growth factor and environmental signals to control cell proliferation,growth, and metabolism. With the establishment of TOR research systems in plants, tremendous progress has been made in, both conserved and unique functions of plant TOR have been uncovered in recent years. Here, we reviewed TOR complexes and the mechanisms of plant TOR integrating sugar, nitrogen, phosphate, sulfur, phytohormone and stress signals to orchestrate transcription, translation, metabolism, autophagy, and stress responses. We also highlight a few fundamental questions that will be of great interest to be resolved for fully revealing biofunctions of plant TOR.