Rheb in mTORC1 signalling and metabolism

Abstract

The research described in this thesis can be divided in three major parts. First we address the question whether Rheb is a crucial activator of mTORC1 and what the consequences are of loss of Rheb on insulin-induced transcription. Secondly, we have investigated if metabolic parameters are changed in cells lacking Rheb or harbouring Rheb mutant isoforms. Finally, we document our efforts to isolate a GEF for Rheb by means of purification from cell lysates. We complement these studies with two reviews that focus on the function of Rheb and mTORC1 at two distinct organelles, namely lysosomes and mitochondria.