Exp Neurobiol.  2015 Sep;24(3):177-185. 10.5607/en.2015.24.3.177.

Roles of mTOR Signaling in Brain Development

• Lee DY

• KMID: 2165553
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5607/en.2015.24.3.177

Abstract

mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase composed of multiple protein components. Intracellular signaling of mTOR complexes is involved in many of physiological functions including cell survival, proliferation and differentiation through the regulation of protein synthesis in multiple cell types. During brain development, mTOR-mediated signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the process of neuronal and glial differentiation and the maintenance of the stemness of neural stem cells. The abnormalities in the activity of mTOR and its downstream signaling molecules in neural stem cells result in severe defects of brain developmental processes causing a significant number of brain disorders, such as pediatric brain tumors, autism, seizure, learning disability and mental retardation. Understanding the implication of mTOR activity in neural stem cells would be able to provide an important clue in the development of future brain developmental disorder therapies.

Keyword

mTOR; neurogenesis; gliogenesis; neural stem cell; pediatric brain tumors; brain developmental disorders

MeSH Terms

Autistic Disorder
Brain Diseases
Brain Neoplasms
Brain*
Cell Survival
Intellectual Disability
Learning Disorders
Neural Stem Cells
Neurogenesis
Neurons
Phosphotransferases
Seizures
Phosphotransferases