Cryo-EM structure of human GATOR2: a 1.1 MDa, two-fold symmetric cage built on an octagonal scaffold decorated with eight pairs of WD40 beta-propellers, and a map of where Sestrin2 and CASTOR1 dock. It substantially advances the GATOR2 side of the sensor module, though how GATOR2 inhibits GATOR1 is still not fully settled.
Tier D because it is mechanistic or in-vitro work (model: Human GATOR2 complex (cryo-EM)), not a whole-organism health-outcome study; tier describes study design, not quality -- this is often exactly where causal biology gets established.
| Evidence tier | D Mechanistic / in vitro / review |
| Study type | 5 - Mechanistic / In Vitro |
| Model system | Human GATOR2 complex (cryo-EM) |
| Journal | Nature |
| Year | 2022 |
| Peer reviewed | Yes |
| Record last updated | 2026-07-29 |
| Source | DOI 10.1038/s41586-022-04939-z · PMID 35831510 · Free full text (PMC9464592) |
| Target | GATOR2 complex architecture; Sestrin2/CASTOR1 binding sites |
| Model | Human protein complex |
| Effect | Defines GATOR2 as a 1.1 MDa cage-like complex and maps the sensor-binding interfaces |
Barton, O. (2026). Structure of the nutrient-sensing hub GATOR2 — evidence-graded record VAL2022. In Oliver's mTOR Atlas. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/VAL2022/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963
@misc{atlas_VAL2022,
author = {Barton, Oliver},
title = {{Structure of the nutrient-sensing hub GATOR2} --- evidence-graded record VAL2022},
howpublished = {Oliver's mTOR Atlas},
year = {2026},
url = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/VAL2022/},
note = {Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}