DEPTOR/DEPDC6: Products

DEP Domain Containing MTOR-interacting Protein (DEPTOR), also known as DEP Domain Containing 6 (DEPDC6), is a 409 amino acid (aa) protein with a predicted molecular weight of approximately 47 kDa. It is found only in vertebrates and the human protein shares 96% aa sequence identity with the mouse ortholog. DEPTOR/DEPDC6 contains tandem N-terminal DEP domains and a C-terminal PDZ domain and was identified via its interaction with TOR and was shown to inhibit TOR activity. It is phosphorylated in a TOR- and Casein Kinase 1 alpha-dependent manner on Ser286, Ser293, and Ser299 in serum-stimulated cells. Phosphorylated DEPTOR/DEPDC6 is then ubiquitinated by the SCF (beta-TrCP) Ubiquitin ligase (E3) and degraded. TGF-beta has also been shown to reduce DEPTOR/DEPDC6 levels in a TOR-dependent manner. DEPTOR/DEPDC6 overexpression promotes white adipose tissue (WAT) accumulation in mice and its expression in WAT positively correlates with obesity level in humans, suggesting this protein is a regulator of adipogenesis.