Oliver's mTOR Atlas Evidence Platform
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The CASTOR Proteins Are Arginine Sensors for the mTORC1 Pathway

Chantranupong L, Scaria SM, Saxton RA, Gygi MP, Shen K, Wyant GA, Wang T, Harper JW, Gygi SP, Sabatini DM · 2016 · Cell · Atlas ID CHA2016

What this study shows

Identified CASTOR1 as the direct arginine sensor: when arginine binds CASTOR1, it lets go of GATOR2, switching mTORC1 on. Together with Sestrin2 (leucine) this built the picture of mTORC1 as a cell that literally tastes individual amino acids.

Abstract

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Amino acids signal to the mTOR complex I (mTORC1) growth pathway through the Rag GTPases. Multiple distinct complexes regulate the Rags, including GATOR1, a GTPase activating protein (GAP), and GATOR2, a positive regulator of unknown molecular function. Arginine stimulation of cells activates mTORC1, but how it is sensed is not well understood. Recently, SLC38A9 was identified as a putative lysosomal arginine sensor required for arginine to activate mTORC1 but how arginine deprivation represses mTORC1 is unknown.

Read the full abstract on PubMed →

At a glance

Evidence type M Molecular — cells, biochemistry, structure Marked M because it is molecular or in-vitro work (model: Human cells (biochemistry)) rather than a whole-organism health-outcome study. That is often exactly where causal biology gets established -- the code says which system the finding was shown in, and nothing about how good the work is.
Study type5 - Mechanistic / In Vitro
Model systemHuman cells (biochemistry)
JournalCell
Year2016
Peer reviewedYes
Record last updated2026-08-22
SourceDOI 10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.035 · PMID 26972053 · Free full text (PMC4808398)

Extracted findings

InterventionBiochemical/genetic (CASTOR1/2)
TargetCASTOR / GATOR2 / mTORC1 (arginine)
ModelHuman cells (biochemistry)
EffectThe CASTOR proteins are direct arginine sensors for the mTORC1 pathway

In the Atlas

Related topics

ArginineGATOR2CASTOR1mTORC1

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Cite this paper

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Chantranupong, L., Scaria, S. M., Saxton, R. A., Gygi, M. P., Shen, K., Wyant, G. A., Wang, T., Harper, J. W., Gygi, S. P., & Sabatini, D. M. (2016). The CASTOR Proteins Are Arginine Sensors for the mTORC1 Pathway. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.035

@article{CHA2016,
  author       = {Chantranupong, L. and Scaria, S. M. and Saxton, R. A. and Gygi, M. P. and Shen, K. and Wyant, G. A. and Wang, T. and Harper, J. W. and Gygi, S. P. and Sabatini, D. M.},
  title        = {{The CASTOR Proteins Are Arginine Sensors for the mTORC1 Pathway}},
  journal      = {Cell},
  year         = {2016},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.035},
  note         = {PMID: 26972053},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper. 

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record CHA2016) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/CHA2016/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_CHA2016,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record CHA2016},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/CHA2016/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}