Regulation of growth and proliferation in higher eukaryotic cells results from an integration of nutritional, energy, and mitogenic signals. Biochemical processes underlying cell growth and proliferation are governed by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathways. The importance of the interplay between these two pathways is underscored by the discovery that the TOR inhibitor rapamycin is effective against tumors caused by misregulation of the PI3K pathway. We review here recent data concerning the convergence of the PI3K and TOR pathways, the role of these pathways in cell growth and proliferation, and the regulation of growth by downstream TOR targets.
