PRAS40 is an insulin-regulated inhibitor of the mTORC1 protein kinase

Sancak Y, Thoreen CC, Peterson TR, Lindquist RA, Kang SA, Spooner E, Carr SA, Sabatini DM · 2007 · Molecular Cell · Atlas ID SAN2007

What this study shows

Identified PRAS40 as the missing insulin-controlled brake INSIDE mTORC1. When insulin is absent PRAS40 clamps the complex shut; insulin makes Akt phosphorylate PRAS40, releasing the brake so Rheb can fully switch mTORC1 on. Explained how hormone signals set the exact strength of mTORC1 activity.

Abstract

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The heterotrimeric mTORC1 protein kinase nucleates a signaling network that promotes cell growth in response to insulin and becomes constitutively active in cells missing the TSC1 or TSC2 tumor suppressors. Insulin stimulates the phosphorylation of S6K1, an mTORC1 substrate, but it is not known how mTORC1 kinase activity is regulated. We identify PRAS40 as a raptor-interacting protein that binds to mTORC1 in insulin-deprived cells and whose in vitro interaction with mTORC1 is disrupted by high salt concentrations.

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 type	5 - Mechanistic / In Vitro
Model system	Human cells (biochemistry)
Journal	Molecular Cell
Year	2007
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-10-01
Source	DOI 10.1016/j.molcel.2007.03.003 · PMID 17386266

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 (PRAS40)
Target	mTORC1 / PRAS40
Model	Human cells (biochemistry)
Effect	PRAS40 is an insulin-regulated inhibitor of the mTORC1 kinase (raptor-binding)

In the Atlas

Links in the pathway map

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Cite this paper

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Sancak, Y., Thoreen, C. C., Peterson, T. R., Lindquist, R. A., Kang, S. A., Spooner, E., Carr, S. A., & Sabatini, D. M. (2007). PRAS40 is an insulin-regulated inhibitor of the mTORC1 protein kinase. Molecular Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2007.03.003

@article{SAN2007,
  author       = {Sancak, Y. and Thoreen, C. C. and Peterson, T. R. and Lindquist, R. A. and Kang, S. A. and Spooner, E. and Carr, S. A. and Sabatini, D. M.},
  title        = {{PRAS40 is an insulin-regulated inhibitor of the mTORC1 protein kinase}},
  journal      = {Molecular Cell},
  year         = {2007},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.molcel.2007.03.003},
  note         = {PMID: 17386266},
}

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 SAN2007) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/SAN2007/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_SAN2007,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record SAN2007},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/SAN2007/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}

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