Energy sensing by the AMP-activated protein kinase and its effects on muscle metabolism

Abstract

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy status, and a regulator of energy balance at both the cellular and whole body levels. Although ubiquitously expressed, its function is best understood in skeletal muscle. AMPK contains sites that reversibly bind AMP or ATP, with an increase in cellular AMP :ATP ratio (signalling a fall in cellular energy status) switching on the kinase. In muscle, AMPK activation is therefore triggered by sustained contraction, and appears to be particularly important in the metabolic changes that occur in the transition from resistance to endurance exercise. Once activated, AMPK switches on catabolic processes that generate ATP, while switching off energy-requiring processes not essential in the short term. Thus, it acutely activates glucose uptake (by promoting translocation of the transporter GLUT4 to the membrane) and fatty acid oxidation, while switching off glycogen synthesis and protein synthesis (the later via inactivation of the mammalian target-ofrapamycin pathway). Prolonged AMPK activation also causes some of the chronic adaptations to endurance exercise, such as increased GLUT4 expression and mitochondrial biogenesis. AMPK contains a glycogen-binding domain that causes a sub-fraction to bind to the surface of the glycogen particle, and it can inhibit glycogen synthesis by phosphorylating glycogen synthase. We have shown that AMPK is inhibited by exposed non-reducing ends in glycogen. We are working on the hypothesis that this ensures that glycogen synthesis is rapidly activated when glycogen becomes depleted after exercise, but is switched off again as soon as glycogen stores are replenished. Muscle: Exercise: Type 2 diabetes: NutraceuticalsAnimal cells take up fuel molecules such as glucose or fatty acids, and oxidise them to CO 2 via the process of catabolism. Much of the energy released during this process is used to convert ADP to ATP, which can be likened to the chemicals in a rechargeable battery. Extending this analogy, catabolism charges up the battery by converting ADP to ATP, whereas most other cellular activities (e.g. growth, division, secretion and movement) require energy and are driven by the conversion of ATP back to ADP, thus draining the battery. Just as machines that utilise rechargeable batteries (such as laptop computers or electric cars) require systems to monitor the state of the battery, cells require systems to monitor their ATP : ADP ratio and match the rates of uptake and consumption of carbon nutrients to the rate of ATP utilisation. The topic of this review is the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is the major system responsible for achieving this task in eukaryotes. Researchers who wish to understand disorders of energy balance, such as obesity and type-2 diabetes, have been particularly interested in the system. Protein kinases, including AMPK, are signalling enzymes that modify the function of target proteins by transferring phosphate groups from ATP to side chains of specific amino acids, usually serine o...

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