Tuberin: A Stimulus-Regulated Tumor Suppressor Protein Controlled by a Diverse Array of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and G Protein-Coupled Receptors

Abstract

Tuberin, a tumor suppressor protein, is involved in various cellular functions including survival, proliferation, and growth. It has emerged as an important effector regulated by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Regulation of tuberin by RTKs and GPCRs is highly complex and dependent on the type of receptors and their associated signaling molecules. Apart from Akt, the first kinase recognized to phosphorylate and inactivate tuberin upon growth factor stimulation, an increasing number of kinases upstream of tuberin have been identified. Furthermore, recruitment of different scaffolding adaptor components to the activated receptors appears to play an important role in the regulation of tuberin activity. More recently, the differential regulation of tuberin by various G protein family members have also been intensively studied, it appears that G proteins can both facilitate (e.g., G_i/o) as well as inhibit (e.g., G_q) tuberin phosphorylation. In the present review, we attempt to summarize our emerging understandings of the roles of RTKs, GPCRs, and their cross-talk on the regulation of tuberin.