A new mechanism of regulation of p21 by the mTORC1/4E-BP1 pathway predicts clinical outcome of head and neck cancer.

We have identified a novel mechanism of regulation of the protein CDKN1A (also known as p21) by the serine/threonine kinase complex mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Our results demonstrate that the mTORC1 substrate EIF4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in its non-phosphorylated state interacts with p21 and promotes p21 degradation. In addition, we demonstrate the prevalence of this mechanism in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and show that it strongly and significantly associates with improved disease-specific survival, providing evidence for its clinical relevance.