美国贝勒医学院Mauro Costa-Mattioli研究组近期发现，mTORC2的治疗性抑制可挽救与Pten缺乏相关的行为和神经生理异常。相关论文2019年10月21日在线发表于《自然—医学》。
研究人员表示，哺乳动物雷帕霉素信号转导靶标（mTOR）的失调，是由两种结构和功能上不同的复合物，mTORC1和mTORC2介导的，涉及了几种神经系统疾病。磷酸酶和张力蛋白同源基因（PTEN）（mTOR信号的负调节者）中的功能丧失突变个体易于发展为大头畸形、自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）、癫痫发作和智力障碍。通常认为，与PTEN丧失和其他mTOR病相关的神经系统症状（例如，结节性硬化基因TSC1或TSC2中的突变）是由于mTORC1介导的蛋白质合成的过度激活引起的。
使用分子遗传学，研究人员出乎意料地发现，mTORC2（而非mTORC1）基因的缺失延长了寿命，抑制了癫痫发作，挽救了ASD样的行为和长期记忆，并使缺乏Pten的小鼠大脑中的代谢变化正常化。在一种更具治疗倾向的方法中，研究人员发现，针对mTORC2定义成分Rictor的反义寡核苷酸（ASO）可以特异性抑制mTORC2活性，并逆转青春期Pten缺陷型小鼠的行为和神经生理异常。
总的来说，这些发现表明mTORC2是与Pten缺乏症相关的神经病理生理学的主要驱动因素，其治疗性减少可能成为一种针对mTOR信号失调神经系统疾病的有前途且广泛有效的转化疗法。
附：英文原文
Title:Therapeutic inhibition of mTORC2 rescues the behavioral and neurophysiological abnormalities associated with Pten-deficiency
Author:Chien-Ju Chen, Martina Sgritta, Jacqunae Mays, Hongyi Zhou, Rocco Lucero, Jin Park, I-Ching Wang, Jun Hyoung Park, Benny Abraham Kaipparettu, Loredana Stoica, Paymaan Jafar-Nejad, Frank Rigo, Jeannie Chin, Jeffrey L. Noebels & Mauro Costa-Mattioli
Issue&Volume:21 October 2019
Abstract:
Dysregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, which is mediated by two structurally and functionally distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, has been implicated in several neurological disorders1,2,3. Individuals carrying loss-of-function mutations in the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene, a negative regulator of mTOR signaling, are prone to developing macrocephaly, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), seizures and intellectual disability2,4,5. It is generally believed that the neurological symptoms associated with loss of PTEN and other mTORopathies (for example, mutations in the tuberous sclerosis genes TSC1 or TSC2) are due to hyperactivation of mTORC1-mediated protein synthesis1,2,4,6,7. Using molecular genetics, we unexpectedly found that genetic deletion of mTORC2 (but not mTORC1) activity prolonged lifespan, suppressed seizures, rescued ASD-like behaviors and long-term memory, and normalized metabolic changes in the brain of mice lacking Pten. In a more therapeutically oriented approach, we found that administration of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting mTORC2’s defining component Rictor specifically inhibits mTORC2 activity and reverses the behavioral and neurophysiological abnormalities in adolescent Pten-deficient mice. Collectively, our findings indicate that mTORC2 is the major driver underlying the neuropathophysiology associated with Pten-deficiency, and its therapeutic reduction could represent a promising and broadly effective translational therapy for neurological disorders where mTOR signaling is dysregulated.
DOI:10.1038/s41591-019-0608-y
Nature Medicine：《自然—医学》，创刊于1995年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：87.241
官方网址：https://www.nature.com/nm/
投稿链接：https://mts-nmed.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex
本期文章：《自然—医学》：Online/在线发表
