Little is known about the signals downstream of PI3K which regulate mast cell homeostasis and function following FcεRI aggregation and Kit ligation. In this study, we investigated the role of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway in these responses. In human and mouse mast cells, stimulation via FcεRI or Kit resulted in a marked PI3K-dependent activation of the mTORC1 pathway, as revealed by the wortmannin-sensitive sequential phosphorylation of tuberin, mTOR, p70S6 kinase (p70S6K), and 4E-BP1. In contrast, in human tumor mast cells, the mTORC1 pathway was constitutively activated and this was associated with markedly elevated levels of mTORC1 pathway components. Rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of mTORC1, selectively and completely blocked the FcεRI- and Kit-induced mTORC1-dependent p70S6K phosphorylation and partially blocked the 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. In parallel, although rapamycin had no effect on FcεRI-mediated degranulation or Kit-mediated cell adhesion, it inhibited cytokine production, and kit-mediated chemotaxis and cell survival. Furthermore, Rapamycin also blocked the constitutive activation of the mTORC1 pathway and inhibited cell survival of tumor mast cells. These data provide evidence that mTORC1 is a point of divergency for the PI3K-regulated downstream events of FcεRI and Kit for the selective regulation of mast cell functions. Specifically, the mTORC1 pathway may play a critical role in normal and dysregulated control of mast cell homeostasis.

Activated mast cells are a major source of the eicosanoids PGD₂ and leukotriene C₄ (LTC₄), which contribute to allergic responses. These eicosanoids are produced following the ERK1/2-dependent activation of cytosolic phospholipase A₂, thus liberating arachidonic acid, which is subsequently metabolized by the actions of 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase to form LTC₄ and PGD₂, respectively. These pathways also generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have been proposed to contribute to FcεRI-mediated signaling in mast cells. In this study, we demonstrate that, in addition to ERK1/2-dependent pathways, ERK1/2-independent pathways also regulate FcεRI-mediated eicosanoid and ROS production in mast cells. A role for the Tec kinase Btk in the ERK1/2-independent regulatory pathway was revealed by the significantly attenuated FcεRI-dependent PGD₂, LTC₄, and ROS production in bone marrow-derived mast cells of Btk^−/− mice. The FcεRI-dependent activation of Btk and eicosanoid and ROS generation in bone marrow-derived mast cells and human mast cells were similarly blocked by the PI3K inhibitors, Wortmannin and LY294002, indicating that Btk-regulated eicosanoid and ROS production occurs downstream of PI3K. In contrast to ERK1/2, the PI3K/Btk pathway does not regulate cytosolic phospholipase A₂ phosphorylation but rather appears to regulate the generation of ROS, LTC₄, and PGD₂ by contributing to the necessary Ca²⁺ signal for the production of these molecules. These data demonstrate that strategies to decrease mast cell production of ROS and eicosanoids would have to target both ERK1/2- and PI3K/Btk-dependent pathways.