mTOR interacts with raptor to form a nutrient-sensitive complex that signals to the cell growth machinery

Kim DH, Sarbassov DD, Ali SM, King JE, Latek RR, Erdjument-Bromage H, Tempst P, Sabatini DM · 2002 · Cell · Atlas ID KIM2002

What this study shows

Discovery of Raptor as the defining partner of mTOR in mTORC1. This is the paper that gives mTORC1 its identity: Raptor is the scaffold that lets mTOR find and phosphorylate its targets (S6K1), and the complex is stabilized under starvation. Companion paper to Hara 2002.

Abstract

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mTOR/RAFT1/FRAP is the target of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin and the central component of a nutrient- and hormone-sensitive signaling pathway that regulates cell growth. We report that mTOR forms a stoichiometric complex with raptor, an evolutionarily conserved protein with at least two roles in the mTOR pathway. Raptor has a positive role in nutrient-stimulated signaling to the downstream effector S6K1, maintenance of cell size, and mTOR protein expression. The association of raptor with mTOR also negatively regulates the mTOR kinase activity.

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/rodent cell lines (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 type	5 - Mechanistic / In Vitro
Model system	Human/rodent cell lines (biochemistry)
Journal	Cell
Year	2002
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-10-01
Source	DOI 10.1016/s0092-8674(02)00808-5 · PMID 12150925

Extracted findings

These fields were extracted from the paper with AI assistance and have not been checked against the source. Read them as a pointer into the paper, not as curated claims; where they disagree with the curated summary above, the curated summary stands.

Intervention	Biochemical/genetic (raptor)
Target	mTOR / raptor
Model	Human/rodent cell lines (biochemistry)
Effect	mTOR forms a nutrient-sensitive complex with raptor that signals to the cell-growth machinery

In the Atlas

Links in the pathway map

Supports Raptor required-for mTORC1

Learn the biology

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Cite this paper

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Kim, D. H., Sarbassov, D. D., Ali, S. M., King, J. E., Latek, R. R., Erdjument-Bromage, H., Tempst, P., & Sabatini, D. M. (2002). mTOR interacts with raptor to form a nutrient-sensitive complex that signals to the cell growth machinery. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0092-8674(02)00808-5

@article{KIM2002,
  author       = {Kim, D. H. and Sarbassov, D. D. and Ali, S. M. and King, J. E. and Latek, R. R. and Erdjument-Bromage, H. and Tempst, P. and Sabatini, D. M.},
  title        = {{mTOR interacts with raptor to form a nutrient-sensitive complex that signals to the cell growth machinery}},
  journal      = {Cell},
  year         = {2002},
  doi          = {10.1016/s0092-8674(02)00808-5},
  note         = {PMID: 12150925},
}

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 KIM2002) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/KIM2002/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_KIM2002,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record KIM2002},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/KIM2002/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}

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