The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase forms two multiprotein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, which regulate cell growth, cell survival, and autophagy. Allosteric inhibitors of mTORC1, such as rapamycin, have been extensively used to study tumor cell growth, proliferation, and autophagy but have shown only limited clinical utility. Here, we describe AZD8055, a novel ATP-competitive inhibitor of mTOR kinase activity, with an IC 50 of 0.8 nmol/L. AZD8055 showed excellent selectivity (∼1,000-fold) against all class I phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) isoforms and other members of the PI3K-like kinase family. Furthermore, there was no significant activity against a panel of 260 kinases at concentrations up to 10 μmol/L. AZD8055 inhibits the phosphorylation of mTORC1 substrates p70S6K and 4E-BP1 as well as phosphorylation of the mTORC2 substrate AKT and downstream proteins. The rapamycin-resistant T37/46 phosphorylation sites on 4E-BP1 were fully inhibited by AZD8055, resulting in significant inhibition of cap-dependent translation. In vitro, AZD8055 potently inhibits proliferation and induces autophagy in H838 and A549 cells. In vivo, AZD8055 induces a dose-dependent pharmacodynamic effect on phosphorylated S6 and phosphorylated AKT at plasma concentrations leading to tumor growth inhibition. Notably, AZD8055 results in significant growth inhibition and/or regression in xenografts, representing a broad range of human tumor types. AZD8055 is currently in phase I clinical trials. Cancer Res; 70(1); 288-98. ©2010 AACR.

The balance between the fission and fusion mechanisms regulate the morphology of mitochondria. In this study we have identified a mammalian protein that we call hFis1, which is the orthologue of the yeast Fis1p known to participate in yeast mitochondrial division. hFis1, when overexpressed in various cell types, localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane and induced mitochondrial fission. This event was inhibited by a dominant negative mutant of Drp1 (Drp1(K38A)), a major component of the fission apparatus. Fragmentation of the mitochondrial network by hFis1 was followed by the release of cytochrome c and ultimately apoptosis. Bcl-x L was able to block cytochrome c release and apoptosis but failed to prevent mitochondrial fragmentation. Our studies show that hFis1 is part of the mammalian fission machinery and suggest that regulation of the fission processes might be involved in apoptotic mechanisms.

Mitochondria form a dynamic network, and it remains unclear how the alternate configurations interact with bioenergetics properties. The metabolic signals that link mitochondrial structure to its functional states have not been fully characterized. In this report, we analyze the bidirectional relationships between mitochondrial morphology and function in living human cells. First, we determined the effect of mitochondrial fission on energy production by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting DRP1, which revealed the importance of membrane fluidity on the control of bioenergetics. Second, we followed the effect of rotenone, a specific inhibitor of respiratory chain complex I, which causes large structural perturbations, once a threshold was reached. Last, we followed changes in the mitochondrial network configuration in human cells that had been treated with modulators of oxidative phosphorylation, and in fibroblasts from two patients with mitochondrial disease where the respiratory rate, ΔΨ and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured. Our data demonstrate that the relationship between mitochondrial network organization and bioenergetics is bidirectional, and we provide a model for analyzing the metabolic signals involved in this crosstalk.

Mitochondria form a highly dynamic tubular network, the morphology of which is regulated by frequent fission and fusion events. However, the role of mitochondrial fission in homeostasis of the organelle is still unknown. Here we report that preventing mitochondrial fission, by down-regulating expression of Drp1 in mammalian cells leads to a loss of mitochondrial DNA and a decrease of mitochondrial respiration coupled to an increase in the levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). At the cellular level, mitochondrial dysfunction resulting from the lack of fission leads to a drop in the levels of cellular ATP, an inhibition of cell proliferation and an increase in autophagy. In conclusion, we propose that mitochondrial fission is required for preservation of mitochondrial function and thereby for maintenance of cellular homeostasis.