MTORC1 functions as a transcriptional regulator of autophagy by preventing nuclear transport of TFEB

Martina JA, Chen Yong, Gucek M, Puertollano R · 2012 · Autophagy · Atlas ID MAR2012

What this study shows

Pinned down the direct mTORC1-TFEB link: mTORC1 (docked at the lysosome via Ragulator) phosphorylates TFEB on Ser211, which traps it in the cytosol via 14-3-3 proteins. Inhibit mTORC1 and TFEB rushes to the nucleus to switch on autophagy - explaining how mTORC1 controls recycling at the level of gene transcription.

Abstract

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The mammalian target of rapamycin (MTOR) protein kinase complex is a key component of a pathway that regulates cell growth and proliferation in response to energy levels, hypoxia, nutrients and insulin. Inhibition of MTORC1 strongly induces autophagy by regulating the activity of the ULK protein kinase complex that is required for the formation of autophagosomes. However, the participation of MTORC1 in the expression of autophagy genes has not been characterized.

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) 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 cells
Journal	Autophagy
Year	2012
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-08-22
Source	DOI 10.4161/auto.19653 · PMID 22576015 · Free full text (PMC3427256)

Extracted findings

Intervention	Genetic/pharmacologic (mTORC1)
Target	mTORC1 / TFEB
Model	Human cells
Effect	mTORC1 phosphorylates TFEB to block its nuclear transport → transcriptional control of autophagy genes

In the Atlas

Cite this paper

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Martina, J. A., Chen Yong, Gucek, M., & Puertollano, R. (2012). MTORC1 functions as a transcriptional regulator of autophagy by preventing nuclear transport of TFEB. Autophagy. https://doi.org/10.4161/auto.19653

@article{MAR2012,
  author       = {Martina, J. A. and Chen Yong and Gucek, M. and Puertollano, R.},
  title        = {{MTORC1 functions as a transcriptional regulator of autophagy by preventing nuclear transport of TFEB}},
  journal      = {Autophagy},
  year         = {2012},
  doi          = {10.4161/auto.19653},
  note         = {PMID: 22576015},
}

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 MAR2012) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/MAR2012/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_MAR2012,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record MAR2012},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/MAR2012/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}