Background:
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates cell growth and proliferation as a downstream target of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (Akt). mTOR is a key regulator of protein translation that, when activated, allows mRNA recruitment to the ribosome and phosphorylates the 70 kD ribosomal protein, S6K, to further enhance ribosome efficiency. In this pathway, the tumor suppressors tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) and TSC2 negatively regulate mTOR activity to inhibit protein translation. Dysregulation of mTOR and other proteins in its signaling pathway has been implicated in various cancer types.

Technology Description:
The current invention describes a novel transgenic mouse in the FVB/n strain background that expresses constitutively active mTOR under the prostate-specific probasin promoter. Mice develop constitutive phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6, which can be easily detected and quantified by immunofluorescence.

File Number: CU0687