MCB researchers uncover a “central computer” hidden inside cells

A new study from researchers in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology reveals that TORC1, a protein complex long known to regulate cell growth, functions as a sophisticated central computer rather than a simple on/off switch.

Led by Professor Andrew Capaldi and graduate student Cristina Padilla, the research demonstrates that TORC1 integrates multiple nutrient signals and selectively activates different cellular pathways in a multilayered fashion, adjusting metabolism, stress responses, and biosynthesis programs even with small dietary changes. Using mass spectrometry to measure thousands of TORC1 outputs simultaneously under physiologically relevant conditions, the team identified distinct regulatory tiers that respond to progressively worsening nutrient conditions, from minor metabolic adjustments to complete growth shutdown during starvation. This discovery, published in Nature Communications, helps explain why mutations in different TORC1 regulators cause such diverse human diseases, from metabolic disorders like diabetes to neurological conditions including epilepsy and depression, and suggests that more targeted therapeutic strategies may be possible by identifying which regulatory layer is disrupted.

Read more in-depth coverage here, and the paper itself here.