Review

Nature Reviews Genetics 7, 606-619 (August 2006) | doi:10.1038/nrg1879

The evolution of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases as regulators of growth and metabolism

Jeffrey A. Engelman1,2, Ji Luo1 & Lewis C. Cantley1,3  About the authors

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Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) evolved from a single enzyme that regulates vesicle trafficking in unicellular eukaryotes into a family of enzymes that regulate cellular metabolism and growth in multicellular organisms. In this review, we examine how the PI3K pathway has evolved to control these fundamental processes, and how this pathway is in turn regulated by intricate feedback and crosstalk mechanisms. In light of the recent advances in our understanding of the function of PI3Ks in the pathogenesis of diabetes and cancer, we discuss the exciting therapeutic opportunities for targeting this pathway to treat these diseases.

Author affiliations

  1. Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School and Division of Signal Transduction, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
  2. Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
  3. Department of Systems Biology, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Correspondence to: Lewis C. Cantley1,3 Email: lewis_cantley@hms.harvard.edu

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