Structure of the nutrient-sensing hub GATOR2

Valenstein ML, Rogala KB, Lalgudi PV, Brignole EJ, Gu X, Saxton RA, Chantranupong L, Kolibius J, Quast JP, Sabatini DM · 2022 · Nature · Atlas ID VAL2022

What this study shows

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.

Abstract

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Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) controls growth by regulating anabolic and catabolic processes in response to environmental cues, including nutrients. Amino acids signal to mTORC1 through the Rag GTPases, which are regulated by several protein complexes, including GATOR1 and GATOR2. GATOR2, which has five components (WDR24, MIOS, WDR59, SEH1L and SEC13), is required for amino acids to activate mTORC1 and interacts with the leucine and arginine sensors SESN2 and CASTOR1, respectively.

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 GATOR2 complex (cryo-EM)) 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 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)

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	None (structural study)
Target	GATOR2 complex (with Sestrin2 and CASTOR1 binding sites)
Model	Recombinant human protein, cryo-EM
Effect	Structure of GATOR2 as a two-fold symmetric cage; maps where the leucine and arginine sensors dock

In the Atlas

Links in the pathway map

Supports GATOR2 inhibits GATOR1

Cite this paper

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Valenstein, M. L., Rogala, K. B., Lalgudi, P. V., Brignole, E. J., Gu, X., Saxton, R. A., Chantranupong, L., Kolibius, J., Quast, J. P., & Sabatini, D. M. (2022). Structure of the nutrient-sensing hub GATOR2. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04939-z

@article{VAL2022,
  author       = {Valenstein, M. L. and Rogala, K. B. and Lalgudi, P. V. and Brignole, E. J. and Gu, X. and Saxton, R. A. and Chantranupong, L. and Kolibius, J. and Quast, J. P. and Sabatini, D. M.},
  title        = {{Structure of the nutrient-sensing hub GATOR2}},
  journal      = {Nature},
  year         = {2022},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41586-022-04939-z},
  note         = {PMID: 35831510},
}

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 VAL2022) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/VAL2022/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_VAL2022,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record VAL2022},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/VAL2022/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}

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