Similar Growth Control in Unicellular Organisms and Humans

(University of Fribourg, June 05, 2013)

Organisms adapt their growth according to the amount of nutrients available in the environment. A single-celled fungus does this using a molecular brake. The same mechanism is present in humans, acting as a suppressor of cancer tumors. At the cellular level, a key element in this process is the TORC1 protein complex. Found in all eukaryotic organisms, TORC1 is induced indirectly by various nutrients like amino acids. Once activated, TORC1 promotes cell growth by targeting different genes and proteins. Researchers at the University of Freiburg identified in yeast a complex of three proteins that slow cell growth (published in Science Signaling). Researchers at the Whitehead Institute in Massachusetts, USA identified the same inhibitory mechanism in human cells (published in Science).