| dc.description.abstract | Understanding the dynamic balance between protein synthesis and degradation is critical in characterizing skeletal muscle growth, maintenance, or wasting. Over 160,000 people in the United States suffer from Cachexia, a condition characterized by rapid muscle wasting, and other conditions associated with muscular atrophy affect millions. Previous research has linked muscle cell growth with the mTOR {mammalian target of rapamycin} anabolic pathway; and has also shown that degradation or upregulation of DEPTOR {DEP-domain containing mTOR-interacting protein}, our protein of interest, has a direct impact on mTOR activation. Both mTOR and DEPTOR are vital for the overall health of the cell, but the interaction between these two proteins is often disrupted, favoring either muscle growth or muscle wasting. What is unclear is if this interaction is a consequence of underlying features of the cell, or a direct culprit. The hypothesis of the proposed study is that the rate of growth and degradation of skeletal muscle cells is a direct result of the DEPTOR/mTOR interaction. We will investigate growth and wasting of cultured skeletal muscle cells by altering the interaction between mTOR and DEPTOR via pharmacological intervention. This study will have implications on how we combat anabolically aggressive cancers, muscular dystrophy and atrophy. | en |
