TORC

TORC proteins (aka CREB-regulated transcription coactivators or CRTCs) are a family of 3 highly-conserved human genes identified in high-throughput screens of cDNAs that activated the IL-8 promoter {Iourgenko, 2003 #1935} or a CRE-containing reporter construct {Conkright, 2003 #1936}. All 3 TORCs are expressed in the brain, with highest expression of TORC1 {Altarejos, 2008 #1938}. TORCs do not bind DNA directly, but are CREB co-activators that enhance CRE-regulated transcription after binding CREB and recruiting TFIID {Iourgenko, 2003 #1935}{Conkright, 2003 #1936}.

Phosphorylation of CREB at S133 by PKA and binding of TORC to CREB can independently {Xu, 2007 #1943} or additively {Conkright, 2003 #1936} act at the CRE to enhance expression. Thus, full activation of CREB-mediated transcription requires the nuclear translocation of both catalytic PKA and TORC. Phosphorylated TORC (pTORC) is sequestered in the cytoplasm by binding to the scaffolding protein 14-3-3. TORC dephosphorylation by Ca++-activated CaN (or by PKA-mediated inhibition of the AMPK family kinases that phosphorylate TORC) causes the release of TORC from 14-3-3 and its translocation to the nucleus {Spencer, 2010 #1946}.

TORCs have been implicated in several CREB-regulated processes, including gluconeogenesis {Koo, 2005 #1941}, tumor induction {Conkright, 2003 #1936}{Amelio, 2009 #1942}, CRH expression {Liu, 2010 #1940}, long-term potentiation {Kovacs, 2007 #1945}, hypothalamic responses to metabolic deficits {Altarejos, 2008 #1938}, and cocaine self-administration {Hollander, 2010 #1939}.

Antisera from Cell Signaling

Torc1 (C71D11) Rabbit mAb #2587 http://www.cellsignal.com/products/2587.html (Dilution of 1:1000 looks best in our hands).

Torc2 Antibody #3826 $214 (polyclonal, not tested in rat?) http://www.cellsignal.com/products/3826.html

Torc3 (C35G4) Rabbit mAb #2720 $214 http://www.cellsignal.com/products/2720.html

We'll also need this mouse version of anti-pCREB for double labeling:

Phospho-CREB (Ser133) (1B6) Mouse mAb #9196S $235 http://www.cellsignal.com/products/9196.html