Oliver's mTOR Atlas Evidence Platform
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Ragulator-Rag complex targets mTORC1 to the lysosomal surface and is necessary for its activation by amino acids

Sancak Y, Bar-Peled L, Zoncu R, Markhard AL, Nada S, Sabatini DM · 2010 · Cell · Atlas ID SAN2010

What this study shows

Established WHERE mTORC1 gets switched on: the lysosome surface. Identified Ragulator as the lysosomal dock that recruits the Rag GTPases and drags mTORC1 to the membrane where its activator Rheb lives. Amino acids work by controlling this translocation.

Abstract

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The mTORC1 kinase promotes growth in response to growth factors, energy levels, and amino acids, and its activity is often deregulated in disease. The Rag GTPases interact with mTORC1 and are proposed to activate it in response to amino acids by promoting mTORC1 translocation to a membrane-bound compartment that contains the mTORC1 activator, Rheb. We show that amino acids induce the movement of mTORC1 to lysosomal membranes, where the Rag proteins reside.

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 + Drosophila) 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 + Drosophila
JournalCell
Year2010
Peer reviewedYes
Record last updated2026-08-22
SourceDOI 10.1016/j.cell.2010.02.024 · PMID 20381137 · Free full text (PMC3024592)

Extracted findings

InterventionBiochemical/genetic (Ragulator-Rag)
TargetRagulator / Rag / mTORC1 / Rheb
ModelHuman cells + Drosophila
EffectThe Ragulator-Rag complex targets mTORC1 to the lysosomal surface and is necessary for its activation by amino acids

In the Atlas

Related topics

LysosomeRag GTPasesmTORC1RhebRagulator

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Want to understand the biology behind this study? → The Lysosome as a Signalling Platform

Cite this paper

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Sancak, Y., Bar-Peled, L., Zoncu, R., Markhard, A. L., Nada, S., & Sabatini, D. M. (2010). Ragulator-Rag complex targets mTORC1 to the lysosomal surface and is necessary for its activation by amino acids. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2010.02.024

@article{SAN2010,
  author       = {Sancak, Y. and Bar-Peled, L. and Zoncu, R. and Markhard, A. L. and Nada, S. and Sabatini, D. M.},
  title        = {{Ragulator-Rag complex targets mTORC1 to the lysosomal surface and is necessary for its activation by amino acids}},
  journal      = {Cell},
  year         = {2010},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cell.2010.02.024},
  note         = {PMID: 20381137},
}

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 SAN2010) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/SAN2010/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_SAN2010,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record SAN2010},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/SAN2010/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}