mTOR Antibodies

mTOR antibodies are crucial tools for studying the function, regulation, and activity of mTOR in cells and tissues. These antibodies can be used to detect total mTOR protein levels, phosphorylated mTOR (indicative of its activation), and the individual components of mTORC1 and mTORC2 complexes. 

Applications of mTOR Antibodies

• Western Blotting (WB): mTOR antibodies are widely used in Western blot assays to detect the expression levels of mTOR in cell and tissue lysates. Researchers often use phospho-specific mTOR antibodies to assess the activation state of mTOR signaling in response to growth factors, nutrient availability, or pharmacological inhibitors like rapamycin.
• Immunohistochemistry (IHC): In IHC, mTOR antibodies enable the localization of mTOR expression in specific tissues or cellular compartments. This is particularly useful in cancer research, where elevated mTOR activity is often associated with tumor growth and progression. Researchers can visualize mTOR activity in tumor biopsies or tissue sections to understand its role in disease pathology.
• Immunofluorescence (IF): Using mTOR antibodies in immunofluorescence allows for the visualization of mTOR's subcellular localization within cells. Phospho-mTOR antibodies can be used to assess active mTOR signaling in specific organelles, such as the lysosome, where mTORC1 is activated in response to amino acids.
• Immunoprecipitation (IP): mTOR antibodies are frequently employed in immunoprecipitation experiments to isolate mTOR protein complexes from cell lysates. This allows researchers to study mTOR’s interactions with other proteins, such as Raptor (mTORC1) or Rictor (mTORC2), and gain insights into the assembly and regulation of mTORC1 and mTORC2.

Key mTOR Targets and Pathway Regulation

• mTORC1: Activated by nutrients, energy, and growth factors, mTORC1 regulates protein synthesis, lipid biosynthesis, and autophagy inhibition. It does so through the phosphorylation of downstream targets such as S6K1 (ribosomal protein S6 kinase) and 4E-BP1 (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1), which promote mRNA translation.
• mTORC2: This complex regulates the actin cytoskeleton, metabolism, and cell survival through the activation of AKT, SGK1 (serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1), and PKC (protein kinase C). Unlike mTORC1, mTORC2 is not directly inhibited by rapamycin and has been shown to contribute to tumor cell survival and resistance to certain therapies.

mTOR antibodies are indispensable tools for studying the mechanistic role of mTOR in regulating cell growth, metabolism, and disease processes. Their applications span a wide range of research areas, including cancer biology, neurobiology, and metabolic disorders.