mTORC1 integrates signals from growth factors and nutrients to control biosynthetic processes, including protein, lipid and nucleic acid synthesis. We find that the mTORC1 pathway is responsive to changes in purine nucleotides in a manner analogous to its sensing of amino acids. Depletion of cellular purines, but not pyrimidines, inhibits mTORC1, and restoration of intracellular adenine nucleotides via addition of exogenous purine nucleobases or nucleosides acutely reactivates mTORC1. Adenylate sensing by mTORC1 is dependent on the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) protein complex and its regulation of Rheb upstream of mTORC1, but independent of energy stress and AMPK. While mTORC1 signaling is not acutely sensitive to changes in intracellular guanylates, long-term depletion of guanylates decreases Rheb protein levels. Our findings suggest that nucleotide sensing, like amino acid sensing, enables mTORC1 to tightly coordinate nutrient availability with the synthesis of macromolecules, such as protein and nucleic acids, produced from those nutrients.

Highlights d Cells starve for cholesterol and iron under lysosomal dysfunction d Upon increased lysosomal pH, only iron addition enables cell proliferation d Iron does not restore lysosomal pH-related catabolic and signaling functions d Iron reverses other cellular processes related to depleted cellular iron

Mitigating risks to biotherapeutic protein production processes and products has driven the development of targeted process analytical technology (PAT); however implementing PAT during development without significantly increasing program timelines can be difficult. The development of a monoclonal antibody expressed in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line via fed-batch processing presented an opportunity to demonstrate capabilities of altering percent glycated protein product. Glycation is caused by pseudo-first order, non-enzymatic reaction of a reducing sugar with an amino group. Glucose is the highest concentration reducing sugar in the chemically defined media (CDM), thus a strategy controlling glucose in the production bioreactor was developed utilizing Raman spectroscopy for feedback control. Raman regions for glucose were determined by spiking studies in water and CDM. Calibration spectra were collected during 8 bench scale batches designed to capture a wide glucose concentration space. Finally, a PLS model capable of translating Raman spectra to glucose concentration was built using the calibration spectra and spiking study regions. Bolus feeding in mammalian cell culture results in wide glucose concentration ranges. Here we describe the development of process automation enabling glucose setpoint control. Glucose-free nutrient feed was fed daily, however glucose stock solution was fed as needed according to online Raman measurements. Two feedback control conditions were executed where glucose was controlled at constant low concentration or decreased stepwise throughout. Glycation was reduced from ∼9% to 4% using a low target concentration but was not reduced in the stepwise condition as compared to the historical bolus glucose feeding regimen.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) is essential for producing NADPH, the primary cofactor for reductive metabolism. We find that growth factor signaling through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)–Akt pathway induces acute synthesis of NADP+ and NADPH. Akt phosphorylates NAD kinase (NADK), the sole cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of NADP+ from NAD+ (the oxidized form of NADH), on three serine residues (Ser44, Ser46, and Ser48) within an amino-terminal domain. This phosphorylation stimulates NADK activity both in cells and directly in vitro, thereby increasing NADP+ production. A rare isoform of NADK (isoform 3) lacking this regulatory region exhibits constitutively increased activity. These data indicate that Akt-mediated phosphorylation of NADK stimulates its activity to increase NADP+ production through relief of an autoinhibitory function inherent to its amino terminus.

No abstract