LAUSR

The highly conserved protein kinase mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR; originally known as mammalian target of rapamycin) is a central cell growth regulator connecting cellular metabolism and growth with a wide range of environmental inputs as part of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2. In this Review, we introduce the landmark discoveries in the mTOR field, starting from the isolation of rapamycin to the molecular characterizations of key components of the mTORC signalling network with an emphasis on amino acid sensing, and discuss the perspectives of mTORC inhibitors in therapeutic applications.Joungmok Kim and Kunliang Guan review the landmark discoveries in the mTOR field from the identification of rapamycin to the characterization of mTOR complex components, with an emphasis on the key players mediating amino acid signals to mTOR.