Alejo Efeyan
Showed that mTORC1's amino-acid sensor, the Rag GTPases, is a life-or-death switch for newborn mice surviving the fast before their first feeding
PhD, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CNIO (Manuel Serrano lab, 2003–2008) · postdoc, Whitehead Institute, MIT (David M. Sabatini lab, 2008–2015) · Group Leader, CNIO (since 2016)
Metabolism and Cell Signalling Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid ↗
As a postdoc with Sabatini, Efeyan helped show (ZON2011) that amino-acid sensing begins inside the lysosome: amino acids accumulating in the lumen are read by the v-ATPase, which relays an 'inside-out' signal to Ragulator-Rag to activate mTORC1. In 2012 he led his own study using knock-in mice with permanently active RagA — these mice die within a day of birth, unable to switch mTORC1 off during the neonatal fast, failing to induce autophagy or mobilize amino acids for gluconeogenesis.
Efeyan trained as a mouse geneticist in Manuel Serrano's lab (p53/tumor suppression) before 7 years with Sabatini.
In 2016 he returned to Madrid to start his own CNIO group studying nutrient sensing, cancer, and aging; named EMBO Young Investigator.
Milestones in the Atlas
| Year | Evidence | Study |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | M | mTORC1 senses lysosomal amino acids through an inside-out mechanism that requires the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase ZON2011 Amino-acid sensing begins inside the lysosome, relayed 'inside-out' via the v-ATPase to Ragulator-Rag. |
| 2012 | A | Regulation of mTORC1 by the Rag GTPases is necessary for neonatal autophagy and survival EFE2012 Knock-in mice with constitutively active RagA cannot switch off mTORC1 during the neonatal fast and die within a day of birth. |
On the programme
Meetings in the Atlas calendar where Alejo Efeyan is listed among the speakers or organisers.
- past Prague Metabolism and Signaling Symposium 2026 ↗ 24–27 Jun 2026 · Prague, Czech Republic · Tier 1