Muscle mTORC1 in flies

What is it about?

mTORC1 is a protein kinase that response to nutrient signaling. In this paper we looked at the role of this protein complex in fruit flies. We found that this complex is important for muscle function in flies, both during development and after new muscle formation.

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Why is it important?

It had been known for quite some time that mTORC1 was important for muscle differentiation, but the mouse Rptor knockout model (see Bentzinger et al. 2008) used a Cre that did not affect differentiation. Therefore this data shows that Raptor and mTORC1 activity are required for both muscle development in vivo but then after that for maintenance of muscle function. We also think that this suggests that inhibition of mTORC1 function in muscle is not the mechanism by which rapamycin extends lifespan.