腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶：肿瘤治疗新靶点

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶（AMP—activated proteinkinase,AMPK）是真核细胞内发现的一类与细胞能量代谢有关激酶家族中的一员,被称之为“能量感应器”。当细胞内AMP／ATP值升高时,AMPK被激活。研究发现,在肿瘤细胞中,活化的AMPK可协同相关抑癌因子调节细胞周期、细胞凋亡以及蛋白质合成,最终影响细胞的增殖。因而,AMPK可以通过感应细胞能量水平的变化来调节细胞增殖。这给肿瘤治疗提供了一定的启示,即以肿瘤细胞能量代谢特点而探寻抑制肿瘤细胞增殖的途径。     

AMPK在机体糖脂代谢中的作用

AMP激活的蛋白激酶(AMPK)是一种广泛参与调节细胞代谢的激酶,被称为"能量感受器".一旦胞浆中AMP/ATP比例升高,或其它因素激活AMPK时,AMPK可增强葡萄糖摄取和利用,以及脂肪酸氧化,产生更多能量;同时抑制葡萄糖异生、脂质合成及糖原合成等通路,减少能量消耗,从而使细胞能量代谢保持平衡.AMPK参与调节包括胰岛β细胞、肝脏、骨骼肌和脂肪在内的多种外周组织的糖脂代谢过程.本文旨在总结并讨论AMPK在机体主要糖脂代谢器官中的作用,并重点分析其在治疗胰岛素抵抗和2型糖尿病中的潜在作用.     

AMPK：细胞能量中枢

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶（AMP activated protein kinase,AMPK）是真核细胞中高度保守的丝氨酸／苏氨酸蛋白激酶,以异源三聚体的形式广泛存在于真核生物体内,是细胞的能量感受器,在能量代谢调控中起极其重要的作用。肝激酶B1（LKB1）、Ca^2＋／CaM-依赖蛋白激酶激酶β（CaMKKβ）、AMP／ATP或ADP／ATP比值升高以及诸如运动肌肉收缩等生理刺激均可以激活AMPK,进而调节细胞的能量代谢网络,提高其应对内外环境变化的能力,从而维持细胞水平乃至整个机体的稳定状态。活化的AMPK可以增强分解代谢,抑制合成代谢,上调ATP水平,参与细胞糖代谢、脂肪代谢、蛋白质代谢等能量代谢过程,增加细胞能量储备,应对能量缺乏。同时活化的AMPK参与细胞的生长、增殖、凋亡、自噬等基本生物学过程。AMPK是研究肥胖,糖尿病等能量代谢性疾病的核心。肿瘤细胞存在特殊的能量代谢方式,其发生,生长,转移与能量代谢失衡密切相关。AMPK与肿瘤细胞异常的能量代谢相关,为肿瘤发生、发展机制研究提供新的策略。本文主要探讨AMPK的结构、激活机制、参与的物质能量代谢和细胞的基本生物学过程以及与肿瘤发生的关联。     

AMPK在胰岛素信号转导通路中的作用

单磷酸腺苷活化蛋白激酶(AMP-activated potein kinase,AMPK)作为一种细胞能量调节器,当细胞经历代谢应激反应时,伴随着细胞内AMP水平或AMP与ATP的比例升高,AMPK被AMP激活,其活化的结果导致脂肪酸氧化的增加以产生更多ATP;同时,抑制ATP消耗,综合效应是帮助细胞度过急性损伤,暂时保障细胞的存活。因为一些治疗2型糖尿病的药物通过激活AMPK而发挥作用,故AMPK被认为是各种潜在的和有效的抗糖尿病药物的靶效应器。5-氨基-4-氨甲酰咪唑核苷(5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside,AICAR),进入细胞后被磷酸化变成ZMP,后者类似AMP也能够激活AMPK。因此,我们采用AICAR激活AMPK,观察活化的AMPK对脂肪细胞能量代谢及胰岛素信号途径的作用。结果显示,脂肪细胞中的AMPK被激活后,丙酰辅酶A(malonyl-CoA,一种脂肪酸氧化作用的抑制剂及脂肪酸合成的前体中间产物)浓度下降80%;在已分化的3T3-F442a脂肪细胞中,AICAR通过激活AMPK,增强胰岛素对Akt/PKB的激活和GSK3的磷酸化。相反,在AICAR预...     

AMPK:细胞能量中枢

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶(AMPactivated proteinkinase,AMPK)是真核细胞中高度保守的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶,以异源三聚体的形式广泛存在于真核生物体内,是细胞的能量感受器,在能量代谢调控中起极其重要的作用。肝激酶B1(LKB1)、Ca2+/CaM-依赖蛋白激酶激酶β(CaMKKβ)、AMP/ATP或ADP/ATP比值升高以及诸如运动肌肉收缩等生理刺激均可以激活AMPK,进而调节细胞的能量代谢网络,提高其应对内外环境变化的能力,从而维持细胞水平乃至整个机体的稳定状态。活化的AMPK可以增强分解代谢,抑制合成代谢,上调ATP水平,参与细胞糖代谢、脂肪代谢、蛋白质代谢等能量代谢过程,增加细胞能量储备,应对能量缺乏。同时活化的AMPK参与细胞的生长、增殖、凋亡、自噬等基本生物学过程。AMPK是研究肥胖,糖尿病等能量代谢性疾病的核心。肿瘤细胞存在特殊的能量代谢方式,其发生,生长,转移与能量代谢失衡密切相关。AMPK与肿瘤细胞异常的能量代谢相关,为肿瘤发生、发展机制研究提供新的策略。本文主要探讨AMPK的结构、激活机制、参与的物质能量代谢和细胞的基本生物学过程以及与肿瘤发生的关联。     

AMPK的功能调控及其与肿瘤之间的关系

AMP激活的蛋白激酶(AMP activated protein kinase,AMPK)是高度保守的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶,广泛存在于真核生物中,是细胞内重要的能量感受器,具有调控和维持能量动态平衡的作用。在低能量状态下,活化的AMPK可增强机体的分解代谢,抑制合成代谢,并参与细胞生长、增殖、自噬等生物学功能,进而维持ATP产量以应对内外环境的变化。鉴于肿瘤细胞的生长与异常的能量代谢息息相关,AMPK可随细胞内特定能量条件的变化而变化,具有促进或抑制肿瘤发生的"双重功能"。本文综述了AMPK的生物学功能以及与肿瘤之间关系的进展,旨在为今后利用AMPK治疗代谢性疾病和预防肿瘤发生提供理论基础。     

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶参与调控物质代谢及多种病理反应的分子机制

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶(AMPK)在真核细胞生物中广泛存在,属于丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶,是一个参与许多细胞信号传导通路的关键蛋白,也是调节细胞能量代谢的开关,故有细胞能量调节器之称。各种导致细胞内AMP/ATP比值升高的因素均可引起AMPK活化。AMPK活化是抑制消耗ATP的合成代谢并启动生成ATP的分解代谢的过程,从而维持机体能量代谢平衡。AMPK不仅在糖脂代谢和心血管、呼吸系统、生殖系统、泌尿系统等病理反应中具有重要作用,而且在人类恶性肿瘤中也扮演着重要角色,对肿瘤细胞的增殖、生长、侵袭和转移具有复杂的调控作用。我们简要综述AMPK的生物学特性及其参与调控多种病理反应的作用机制。     

AMPK对线粒体质量的调控作用

线粒体是哺乳动物细胞内重要细胞器,通过生物合成、分裂/融合及线粒体自噬过程之间的平衡来维持线粒体质量,其功能异常将导致多种疾病的发生。腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶(AMP-activated protein kinase,AMPK)是感受细胞能量变化的关键分子,细胞能量胁迫条件下激活AMPK调控了线粒体的功能,并影响细胞能量代谢和机体的健康,提示AMPK是调控线粒体质量的重要因子。基于此,该文综述了AMPK的结构和激活因素,围绕线粒体生物合成、分裂/融合的动力学和自噬讨论AMPK对哺乳动物细胞线粒体质量的调控作用,为通过激活AMPK而调控线粒体质量,从而为维持机体健康、降低疾病发生提供理论依据。     

AMPK与胰岛素抵抗

糖代谢是物质代谢的基础,运动中骨骼肌糖代谢水平直接影响机体运动能力。近年来研究发现,腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶(AMPK)作为能量代谢变化的感受器能够被运动中ATP/AMP的比值变化所激活,并能直接改善骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗,对机体运动能力有重要的影响。同时AMPK的长期激活可能参与了运动训练引起的胰岛素敏感性增加的调节,虽然其机制尚不清楚。本文通过文献检索法对运动中AMPK的激活机制及其在改善胰岛素抵抗过程中的作用及机制进行综述。     

能量感受器 AMPK 在体调控 T 细胞代谢适应和功能发挥

初始T细胞会进行代谢重编码,进而满足分化为效应性T细胞后,所增加的对能量及生物合成的需要。但是营养物质的利用对T细胞代谢及功能的具体调控机制目前尚不清楚。本文作者证明了在营养物质利用改变的情况下,效应性T细胞代谢的变化。激活的T细胞具有葡萄糖敏感的代谢调定点,受能量感受器AMPK调控,通过调节mRNA翻译以及谷氨酰胺依赖的线粒体代谢维持T细胞生物能量合成和存活。T细胞缺失AMPKα1后,离体葡萄糖饥饿和在体病理状态下都表现出线粒体生物能量合成减少和ATP降低的现象。     

AMPK inhibition in health and disease

All living organisms depend on dynamic mechanisms that repeatedly reassess the status of amassed energy, in order to adapt energy supply to demand. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) αβγ heterotrimer has emerged as an important integrator of signals managing energy balance. Control of AMPK activity involves allosteric AMP and ATP regulation, auto-inhibitory features and phosphorylation of its catalytic (α) and regulatory (β and γ) subunits. AMPK has a prominent role not only as a peripheral sensor but also in the central nervous system as a multifunctional metabolic regulator. AMPK represents an ideal second messenger for reporting cellular energy state. For this reason, activated AMPK acts as a protective response to energy stress in numerous systems. However, AMPK inhibition also actively participates in the control of whole body energy homeostasis. In this review, we discuss recent findings that support the role and function of AMPK inhibition under physiological and pathological states.     

Regulation of energy metabolism by AMPK: a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases

The 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy homeostasis well conserved in all eukaryotic cells. AMPK is activated by rising AMP and falling ATP, either by inhibiting ATP production or by accelerating ATP consumption, by a complex mechanism that results in an ultrasensitive response. AMPK is a heterotrimeric enzyme complex consisting of a catalytic subunit alpha and two regulatory subunits beta and gamma. AMP activates the system by binding to the gamma subunit that triggers phosphorylation of the catalytic alpha subunit by the upstream kinases LKB1 and CaMKKbeta. Once activated, it switches on catabolic pathways (such as fatty acid oxidation and glycolysis) and switches off ATP-consuming pathways (such as lipogenesis) both by short-term effect on phosphorylation of regulatory proteins and by long-term effect on gene expression. Dominant mutations in the regulatory gamma subunit isoforms cause hypertrophy of cardiac and skeletal muscle providing a link in human diseases caused by defects in energy metabolism. As well as acting at the level of the individual cell, the system also regulates food intake and energy expenditure at the whole body level, in particular by mediating the effects of adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin. Moreover, the AMPK system is one of the probable target for the anti-diabetic drug metformin and rosiglitazone. The relationship between AMPK activation and beneficial metabolic effects provides the rationale for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Thus, pharmacological AMPK activation may, through signaling, metabolic and gene expression effects, reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiac diseases.     

A Cell-Autonomous Molecular Cascade Initiated by AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Represses Steroidogenesis

Steroid hormones regulate essential physiological processes, and inadequate levels are associated with various pathological conditions. In testosterone-producing Leydig cells, steroidogenesis is strongly stimulated by luteinizing hormone (LH) via its receptor leading to increased cyclic AMP (cAMP) production and expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (STAR) protein, which is essential for the initiation of steroidogenesis. Steroidogenesis then passively decreases with the degradation of cAMP into AMP by phosphodiesterases. In this study, we show that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated following cAMP-to-AMP breakdown in MA-10 and MLTC-1 Leydig cells. Activated AMPK then actively inhibits cAMP-induced steroidogenesis by repressing the expression of key regulators of steroidogenesis, including Star and Nr4a1. Similar results were obtained in Y-1 adrenal cells and in the constitutively steroidogenic R2C cells. We have also determined that maximum AMPK activation following stimulation of steroidogenesis in MA-10 Leydig cells occurs when steroid hormone production has reached a plateau. Our data identify AMPK as a molecular rheostat that actively represses steroid hormone biosynthesis to preserve cellular energy homeostasis and prevent excess steroid production.     

Activation of AMP-activated Protein Kinase Regulates Hippocampal Neuronal pH by Recruiting Na+/H+ Exchanger NHE5 to the Cell Surface

Strict regulation of intra- and extracellular pH is an important determinant of nervous system function as many voltage-, ligand-, and H⁺-gated cationic channels are exquisitely sensitive to transient fluctuations in pH elicited by neural activity and pathophysiologic events such as hypoxia-ischemia and seizures. Multiple Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers (NHEs) are implicated in maintenance of neural pH homeostasis. However, aside from the ubiquitous NHE1 isoform, their relative contributions are poorly understood. NHE5 is of particular interest as it is preferentially expressed in brain relative to other tissues. In hippocampal neurons, NHE5 regulates steady-state cytoplasmic pH, but intriguingly the bulk of the transporter is stored in intracellular vesicles. Here, we show that NHE5 is a direct target for phosphorylation by the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key sensor and regulator of cellular energy homeostasis in response to metabolic stresses. In NHE5-transfected non-neuronal cells, activation of AMPK by the AMP mimetic AICAR or by antimycin A, which blocks aerobic respiration and causes acidification, increased cell surface accumulation and activity of NHE5, and elevated intracellular pH. These effects were effectively blocked by the AMPK antagonist compound C, the NHE inhibitor HOE694, and mutation of a predicted AMPK recognition motif in the NHE5 C terminus. This regulatory pathway was also functional in primary hippocampal neurons, where AMPK activation of NHE5 protected the cells from sustained antimycin A-induced acidification. These data reveal a unique role for AMPK and NHE5 in regulating the pH homeostasis of hippocampal neurons during metabolic stress.     

AMPK/mTOR信号通路的研究进展

mTOR是细胞生长和增殖的中枢调控因子。mTOR形成2个不同的复合物mTORC1和mTORC2。mTORC1受多种信号调节,如生长因子、氨基酸和细胞能量,同时,mTORC1调节许多重要的细胞过程,包括翻译、转录和自噬。AMPK作为一种关键的生理能量传感器,是细胞和有机体能量平衡的主要调节因子,协调多种代谢途径,平衡能量的供应和需求,最终调节细胞和器官的生长。能量代谢平衡调控是由多个与之相关的信号通路所介导,其中AMPK/mTOR信号通路在细胞内共同构成一个合成代谢和分解代谢过程的开关。此外,AMPK/mTOR信号通路还是一个自噬的重要调控途径。本文着重于目前对AMPK和mTOR信号传导之间关系的了解,讨论了AMPK/mTOR在细胞和有机体能量稳态中的作用。     

5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates progesterone receptor transcriptional activity in breast cancer cells

The steroid hormone progesterone is an essential regulator of the cellular processes that are required for the development and maintenance of reproductive function. The diverse effects of progesterone are mediated by the progesterone receptor (PR). The functions of the PR are regulated not only by ligands but also by modulators of various cell signaling pathways. However, it is not clear which energy state regulates PR activity. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine protein kinase, is a key modulator of energy homeostasis. Once activated by an increasing cellular AMP:ATP ratio, AMPK switches off ATP-consuming processes and switches on ATP-producing processes. We found that both 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR) and metformin, traditional pharmacological activators of AMPK, inhibited the PR pathway, as evidenced by progesterone response element (PRE)-driven luciferase activity and PR target gene expression. Compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK, partly but significantly reversed the anti-PR effects of AICAR and metformin. The downregulation of endogenous AMPK by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) stimulated PR activity. AMPK activation by AICAR decreased the progesterone-induced phosphorylation of PR at serine 294 and inhibited the recruitment of PR to an endogenous PRE. Taken together, our data suggest that AMPK, an energy sensor, is involved in the regulation of PR signaling.     

Expanding roles for AMP‐activated protein kinase in neuronal survival and autophagy

AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionarily conserved cellular switch that activates catabolic pathways and turns off anabolic processes. In this way, AMPK activation can restore the perturbation of cellular energy levels. In physiological situations, AMPK senses energy deficiency (in the form of an increased AMP/ATP ratio), but it is also activated by metabolic insults, such as glucose or oxygen deprivation. Metformin, one of the most widely prescribed anti‐diabetic drugs, exerts its actions by AMPK activation. However, while the functions of AMPK as a metabolic regulator are fairly well understood, its actions in neuronal cells only recently gained attention. This review will discuss newly emerged functions of AMPK in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration. Additionally, recent views on the role of AMPK in autophagy, an important catabolic process that is also involved in neurodegeneration and cancer, will be highlighted.