TORC 2—a new player in genome stability

Abstract

The inhibition of the central growth regulatory kinase TOR , which participates in two complexes, TORC 1 and TORC 2, has been a focus of metabolic and cancer studies for many years. Most studies have dealt with TORC 1, the canonical target of rapamycin, and the role of this complex in autophagy, protein synthesis, and cell growth control. Recent work on TORC 2 in budding and fission yeast species points to a conserved role of this lesser‐known TOR complex in the survival of DNA damage. In budding yeast, TORC 2 controls lipid biosynthesis and actin cytoskeleton through downstream AGC kinases, which are now, surprisingly, implicated in the survival of oxidative DNA damage. Preliminary data from m TORC 2 modulation in cancer cells suggest that an extension to human chemotherapy is worth exploring.