Glycogen availability can influence glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression in skeletal muscle through unknown mechanisms. The multisubstrate enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has also been shown to play an important role in the regulation of GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle. During contraction, AMPK alpha2 translocates to the nucleus and the activity of this AMPK isoform is enhanc...

The hermaphrodite Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas displays a high energy allocation to reproduction. We studied the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) during gametogenesis in the gonad and characterized the mRNA sequences of the AMPK subunits: the AMPK alpha mRNA sequence was previously characterized; we identified AMPK beta, AMPK gamma, and mRNAs of putative AMPK-related target...

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection induces several metabolic activities that have been found to be important for viral replication. The cellular AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a metabolic stress response kinase that regulates both energy-producing catabolic processes and energy-consuming anabolic processes. Here we explore the role AMPK plays in generating an environment conducive t...

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are key regulators of endothelial cell function and angiogenesis. We and others have previously demonstrated that VEGF-A stimulates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in cultured endothelial cells. Furthermore, AMPK has been reported to regulate VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. The role of AMPK in the function of VEGF-B remains undetermined, as...

Gonzalez, Asensio A., Reetu Kumar, Jacob D. Mulligan, Ashley J. Davis, Richard Weindruch, and Kurt W. Saupe. Metabolic adaptations to fasting and chronic caloric restriction in heart, muscle, and liver do not include changes in AMPK activity. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 287: E1032–E1037, 2004. First published July 13, 2004; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00172.2004.—Activation of adenosine monophosphate...

Rescue of palmitate-induced insulin resistance has been linked with improvements in fatty acid oxidation, but importantly, not always with concurrently altered AMPK or ACC2 phosphorylation. Therefore, we examined the interrelationships among AMPK, ACC2, and fatty acid oxidation under 12 controlled conditions in isolated muscle. Incubation of soleus muscle (0-12 h) did not alter fatty acid oxida...

BACKGROUND Metformin, one of most commonly used antidiabetes drugs, is reported to exert its therapeutic effects by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK); however, the mechanism by which metformin activates AMPK is poorly defined. The objective of the present study was to determine how metformin activates AMPK in endothelial cells. METHODS AND RESULTS Exposure of human umbilical vein...

Rationale: The degradation of proteins by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is required for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in the heart. An important regulator of metabolic homeostasis is AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK activation inhibits protein synthesis and activates autophagy, but whether AMPK plays a role in regulating protein breakdown through the UPS in the heart ...

Both the formation of long-term memory (LTM) and dendritic spine growth that serves as a physical basis for the long-term storage of information require de novo protein synthesis. Memory formation also critically depends on transcription. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a transcriptional regulator that has emerged as a major energy sensor that maintains cellular energ...