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RAFT1: a mammalian protein that binds to FKBP12 in a rapamycin-dependent fashion and is homologous to yeast TORs

Sabatini DM et al. · 1994 · Cell · Atlas ID SAB1994

What this study shows

Discovery of the protein RAFT1 (today's mTOR) as the direct target of the FKBP12-rapamycin complex; founding paper of the entire mTOR field.

Abstract

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The immunosuppressants rapamycin and FK506 bind to the same intracellular protein, the immunophilin FKBP12. The FKB12-FK506 complex interacts with and inhibits the Ca(2+)-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin. The target of the FKBP12-rapamycin complex has not yet been identified. We report that a protein complex containing 245 kDa and 35 kDa components, designated rapamycin and FKBP12 targets 1 and 2 (RAFT1 and RAFT2), interacts with FKBP12 in a rapamycin-dependent manner.

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: Mammalian cell culture) 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 systemMammalian cell culture
JournalCell
Year1994
Peer reviewedYes
Record last updated2026-08-22
SourceDOI 10.1016/0092-8674(94)90570-3 · PMID 7518356

Extracted findings

InterventionBiochemical (FKBP12-rapamycin affinity purification)
TargetRAFT1 (mTOR/FRAP) / FKBP12
ModelMammalian cell culture
EffectIdentifies RAFT1 (mammalian TOR) as the FKBP12-rapamycin target, homologous to yeast TORs

In the Atlas

Related topics

RapamycinmTOR

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Learn the biology

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Cite this paper

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Sabatini, D. M., et al. (1994). RAFT1: a mammalian protein that binds to FKBP12 in a rapamycin-dependent fashion and is homologous to yeast TORs. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-8674(94)90570-3

@article{SAB1994,
  author       = {Sabatini, D. M. and others},
  title        = {{RAFT1: a mammalian protein that binds to FKBP12 in a rapamycin-dependent fashion and is homologous to yeast TORs}},
  journal      = {Cell},
  year         = {1994},
  doi          = {10.1016/0092-8674(94)90570-3},
  note         = {PMID: 7518356},
}

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 SAB1994) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/SAB1994/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_SAB1994,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record SAB1994},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/SAB1994/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}