Abnormal n-6 fatty acid metabolism in cystic fibrosis is caused by activation of AMP-activated protein kinase

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and model systems exhibit consistent abnormalities in PUFA metabolism, including increased metabolism of linoleate to arachidonate. Recent studies have connected these abnormalities to increased expression and activity of the Δ6- and Δ5-desaturase enzymes. However, the mechanism connecting these changes to the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations responsible for CF is unknown. This study tests the hypothesis that increased activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), previously described in CF bronchial epithelial cells, causes these changes in fatty acid metabolism by driving desaturase expression. Using CF bronchial epithelial cell culture models, we confirm elevated activity of AMPK in CF cells and show that it is due to increased phosphorylation of AMPK by Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ). We also show that inhibition of AMPK or CaMKKβ reduces desaturase expression and reverses the metabolic alterations seen in CF cells. These results signify a novel AMPK-dependent mechanism linking the genetic defect in CF to alterations in PUFA metabolism.     

Energy-Dependent Modulation of Glucagon-Like Signaling in Drosophila via the AMP-Activated Protein Kinase

Adipokinetic hormone (AKH) is the equivalent of mammalian glucagon, as it is the primary insect hormone that causes energy mobilization. In Drosophila, current knowledge of the mechanisms regulating AKH signaling is limited. Here, we report that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is critical for normal AKH secretion during periods of metabolic challenges. Reduction of AMPK in AKH cells causes a suite of behavioral and physiological phenotypes resembling AKH cell ablations. Specifically, reduced AMPK function increases life span during starvation and delays starvation-induced hyperactivity. Neither AKH cell survival nor gene expression is significantly impacted by reduced AMPK function. AKH immunolabeling was significantly higher in animals with reduced AMPK function; this result is paralleled by genetic inhibition of synaptic release, suggesting that AMPK promotes AKH secretion. We observed reduced secretion in AKH cells bearing AMPK mutations employing a specific secretion reporter, confirming that AMPK functions in AKH secretion. Live-cell imaging of wild-type AKH neuroendocrine cells shows heightened excitability under reduced sugar levels, and this response was delayed and reduced in AMPK-deficient backgrounds. Furthermore, AMPK activation in AKH cells increases intracellular calcium levels in constant high sugar levels, suggesting that the underlying mechanism of AMPK action is modification of ionic currents. These results demonstrate that AMPK signaling is a critical feature that regulates AKH secretion, and, ultimately, metabolic homeostasis. The significance of these findings is that AMPK is important in the regulation of glucagon signaling, suggesting that the organization of metabolic networks is highly conserved and that AMPK plays a prominent role in these networks.     

Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in the metabolic syndrome and in heart disease

Obesity, type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome are disorders of energy balance, which the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates both at the cellular and whole body levels. AMPK switches cells from an anabolic state where nutrients are taken up and stored, to a catabolic state where they are oxidized. Drugs that activate AMPK indirectly (metformin and thiazolidinediones) are now the mainstay of treatment for type 2 diabetes, but more direct AMPK activators may have fewer side effects. However, activating mutations in AMPK can cause heart disease, and it will be important to look for adverse effects in the heart.     

Activation of the prolyl-hydroxylase oxygen-sensing signal cascade leads to AMPK activation in cardiomyocytes

The proline hydroxylase domain-containing enzymes (PHD) act as cellular oxygen sensors and initiate a hypoxic signal cascade to induce a range of cellular responses to hypoxia especially in the aspect of energy and metabolic homeostasis regulation. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is recognized as a major energetic sensor and regulator of cardiac metabolism. However, the effect of PHD signal on AMPK has never been studied before. A PHD inhibitor (PHI), dimethyloxalylglycine and PHD2-specific RNA interference (RNAi) have been used to activate PHD signalling in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Both PHI and PHD2-RNAi activated AMPK pathway in cardiomyocytes effectively. In addition, the increased glucose uptake during normoxia and enhanced myocyte viability during hypoxia induced by PHI pretreatment were abrogated substantially upon AMPK inhibition with an adenoviral vector expressing a dominant negative mutant of AMPK-α1. Furthermore, chelation of intracellular Ca2+ by BAPTA, inhibition of calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase (CaMKK) with STO-609, or RNAi-mediated down-regulation of CaMKK α inhibited PHI-induced AMPK activation significantly. In contrast, down-regulation of LKB1 with adenoviruses expressing the dominant negative form did not affect PHI-induced AMPK activation. We establish for the first time that activation of PHD signal cascade can activate AMPK pathway mainly through a Ca(2+)/CaMKK-dependent mechanism in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, activation of AMPK plays an essential role in hypoxic protective responses induced by PHI.     

M-LDH serves as a regulatory subunit of the cytosolic substrate-channelling complex in vivo

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NDPK-A) regulates the alpha1 isoform of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK alpha1) selectively, independent of [AMP] and surrounding [ATP], by a process termed substrate channelling. Here, we show, using a range of empirically validated biochemical techniques, that the muscle form (M-LDH or LDH-A) and the heart form (H-LDH or LDH-B) of lactate dehydrogenase are physically associated with the liver cytosolic substrate-channelling complex such that M-LDH associates with NDPK-A, AMPK alpha1 and casein kinase 2 (CK2), whereas H-LDH associates with local NDPK-B. We find that the species of LDH bound to the substrate-channelling complex regulates the in vivo enzymatic activities of both AMPK and CK2, and has a downstream effect on the phospho-status of acetyl CoA carboxylase, a key regulator of cellular fat metabolism known to be a part of the cytosolic substrate-channelling complex in vivo. We hypothesise that the regulatory presence of LDH in the complex couples the substrate-channelling mechanism to both the glycolytic and redox states of the cell, allowing for efficient sensing of cell metabolic status, interfacing with the substrate-channelling complex and regulating the enzymatic activities of AMPK and CK2, two critical protein kinases.     

Metabolic activation of AMP kinase in vascular smooth muscle.

AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) is a highly conserved heterotrimeric kinase that functions as a metabolic master switch to coordinate cellular enzymes involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism that regulate ATP conservation and synthesis. AMPK is activated by conditions that increase AMP-to-ATP ratio, such as exercise and metabolic stress. In the present study, we probed whether AMPK was expressed in vascular smooth muscle and would be activated by metabolic stress. Endothelium-denuded porcine carotid artery segments were metabolically challenged with 2-deoxyglucose (10 mM) plus N(2) (N(2)-2DG). These vessels exhibited a rapid increase in AMPK activity by 1 min that was near maximal by 20 min. AMPK inactivation on return to normal physiological saline was approximately 50% in 1 min and fully recovered by 5 min. Immunoprecipitation of the alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-catalytic subunit followed by immunoblot analysis for [P]Thr(172)-AMPK indicates that alpha(1)-AMPK accounts for all activity. Little if any alpha(2)-AMPK was detected in carotid smooth muscle. AMPK activity was not increased by contractile agonist (endothelin-1) or by the reported AMPK activators 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribofuranoside (2 mM), metformin (2 mM), or phenformin (0.2 mM). AMPK activation by N(2)-2DG was associated with a rapid and pronounced reduction in endothelin-induced force and reduced phosphorylation of Akt and Erk 1/2. These data demonstrate that AMPK expression differs in vascular smooth muscle compared with striated muscles and that activation and inactivation after metabolic stress occur rapidly and are associated with signaling pathways that may regulate smooth-muscle contraction.     

CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester) stimulates glucose uptake through AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) activation in skeletal muscle cells

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a flavonoid-like compound, is one of the major components of honeybee propolis. In the present study, we investigated the metabolic effects of CAPE in skeletal muscle cells and found that CAPE stimulated glucose uptake in differentiated L6 rat myoblast cells and also activated AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase). In addition, the inhibition of AMPK blocked CAPE-induced glucose uptake, and CAPE activated the Akt pathway in a PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)-dependent manner. Furthermore, CAPE enhanced both insulin-mediated Akt activation and glucose uptake. In summary, our results suggest that CAPE may have beneficial roles in glucose metabolism via stimulation of the AMPK pathway.     

Non-CDK-bound p27 (p27) is a marker for cell stress and is regulated through the Akt/PKB and AMPK-kinase pathways

p27Kip1 (p27) tumour suppressor protein is regulated by multiple mechanisms including its turnover, localization and complex formation with its key targets, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) and cyclins. We have earlier shown that p27 exists in cells in a form that lacks cyclin/CDK interactions (hence non-CDK, p27^NCDK) but the nature of p27^NCDK has remained unresolved. Here we demonstrate that the epitope recognized by the p27^NCDK-specific antibody resides in the p27 CDK-interaction domain and that p27^NCDK is regulated by the balance of CDK inhibitors and cyclin-CDK complexes. We find that signalling by cellular growth promoting pathways, like phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and specifically Akt/PKB kinase, inversely correlates with p27^NCDK levels whereas total p27 levels are unaffected. p27^NCDK, but not total p27, is increased by cellular perturbations such as hyperosmotic and metabolic stress and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). By using AMPK catalytic subunit proficient and deficient cells we further demonstrate that the AMPK pathway governs p27^NCDK responses to metabolic stress and PI3K inhibition. These results indicate that p27^NCDK is a sensitive marker for both cell stress and proliferation over and above p27 and is regulated by Akt/PKB and AMPK pathways.     

Cross-talk between Two Essential Nutrient-sensitive Enzymes: O-GlcNAc TRANSFERASE (OGT) AND AMP-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE (AMPK)*

Nutrient-sensitive pathways regulate both O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), cooperatively connecting metabolic homeostasis to regulation of numerous intracellular processes essential for life. Similar to phosphorylation, catalyzed by kinases such as AMPK, O-GlcNAcylation is a highly dynamic Ser/Thr-specific post-translational modification of nuclear, cytoplasmic, and mitochondrial proteins catalyzed exclusively by OGT. OGT and AMPK target a multitude of intracellular proteins, with the net effect to protect cells from the damaging effects of metabolic stress. Despite hundreds of studies demonstrating significant overlap in upstream and downstream signaling processes, no study has investigated if OGT and AMPK can directly regulate each other. We show acute activation of AMPK alters the substrate selectivity of OGT in several cell lines and nuclear localization of OGT in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes. Nuclear localization of OGT affects O-GlcNAcylation of numerous nuclear proteins and acetylation of Lys-9 on histone 3 in myotubes. AMPK phosphorylates Thr-444 on OGT in vitro; phosphorylation of Thr-444 is tightly associated with AMPK activity and nuclear localization of OGT in myotubes, and phospho-mimetic T444E-OGT exhibits altered substrate selectivity. Conversely, the α- and γ-subunits of AMPK are O-GlcNAcylated, O-GlcNAcylation of the γ1-subunit increases with AMPK activity, and acute inhibition of O-GlcNAc cycling disrupts activation of AMPK. We have demonstrated significant cross-talk between the O-GlcNAc and AMPK systems, suggesting OGT and AMPK may cooperatively regulate nutrient-sensitive intracellular processes that mediate cellular metabolism, growth, proliferation, and/or tissue function.     

Analysis of microRNA expression profile induced by AICAR in mouse hepatocytes

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been proposed to act as a key energy sensor mediating the metabolism of glucose and lipids, and pharmacological activation of AMPK may provide a new strategy for the management of type 2 diabetes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of endogenous noncoding RNA that play important roles in many biological processes including energy metabolism. Whether miRNAs mediate AMPK action in regulating metabolic process is not clear. In this study, 0.5 mM 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR) was added to increase activation of AMPK in 8 week old C57BL/6 mice primary hepatocytes. MiRNA microarray was performed to compare the miRNA expression profiles of hepatocytes treated with or without AICAR. We discovered that 41 miRNAs were significantly altered in AICAR-treated sample (fold change: > 2) compared with untreated control sample. Among them, 19 miRNAs were upregulated. MiRNA targets were predicted by TargetScan. Further bioinformatic analysis indicated that these predicted targets might be mainly involved in pathways of cellular metabolism and tumor pathogenesis. FUNDO analysis suggested that these predicted targets were enriched in cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity and heart failure (P < 0.01). A series of miRNAs could be regulated by the activation of AMPK and might mediate the action of AMPK during metabolic processes and tumor pathogenesis. Predicted target genes discovered in this study and pathway analysis provide new insights into hepatic metabolism and tumor pathogenesis regulated by AMPK signaling and clues to the possible molecular mechanism underlying the effect of AMPK.     

应用酵母双杂交系统筛选AMPK相互作用蛋白

一磷酸腺苷激活蛋白激酶(AMPK)是调节体内代谢平衡的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶。应用酵母双杂交系统,以AMPKβ1亚基作为"诱饵"蛋白,筛选均一化的人源cDNA文库,寻找与AMPK相互作用的蛋白。通过对150个阳性克隆进行验证,最终得到了63个与AMPKβ1亚基相互作用的蛋白。其中,包括代谢酶、转录因子或转录相关蛋白、蛋白转运相关蛋白、GTP结合蛋白、支架蛋白、细胞周期调节蛋白、RNA结合蛋白等以及一些未知功能的蛋白。从酵母双杂交的结果来看,AMPK不仅在代谢领域,而且在许多非代谢领域,如核受体及其它转录因子的调节、信号转导、DNA修复及细胞周期调节等,可能都起到非常重要的作用。     

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.     

AMP-activated protein kinase is a key regulator of obesity-associated factors

An imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure leads to obesity. Obesity is an important risk factor for the development of several metabolic diseases including insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. So, controlling obesity could be effective in the improvement of obesity-related diseases. Various factors are involved in obesity, such as AMP-activated protein kinases (AMPK), silent information regulators, inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress parameters, gastrointestinal hormones, adipokines, angiopoietin-like proteins, and microRNAs. These factors play an important role in obesity by controlling fat metabolism, energy homeostasis, food intake, and insulin sensitivity. AMPK is a heterotrimeric serine/threonine protein kinase known as a fuel-sensing enzyme. The central role of AMPK in obesity makes it an attractive molecule to target obesity and related metabolic diseases. In this review, the critical role of AMPK in obesity and the interplay between AMPK and obesity-associated factors were elaborated.     

Anti-obesity effects of ginsenoside Rh2 are associated with the activation of AMPK signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocyte

Metabolic disorders such as obesity are major obstacles in improving the average life span. Therefore, a therapeutic approach using natural compounds has been proposed as a novel strategy for preventing metabolic disorders. Ginsenoside Rh2 is one of the ginsenosides that exert anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, the anti-obesity effects of Ginsenoside Rh2 remain unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-obesity ability of ginsenoside Rh2 using cell culture systems. Ginsenoside Rh2 effectively inhibited adipocyte differentiation via PPAR-γ inhibition. Next, to find specific target molecules based on this result, we used cell culture systems to examine whether AMPK activation was involved in the anti-obesity ability of ginsenoside Rh2 since several published papers have indicated that AMPK signaling is involved in the regulation of metabolic disorders. Ginsenoside Rh2 significantly activated AMPK in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition, we also examined the effect of AMPK on lipolysis molecules such as CPT-1 and UCP-2 by using an AMPK inhibitor. Ginsenoside Rh2 effectively induced CPT-1 and UCP-2 and this induction was abolished by AMPK inhibitor treatment. Moreover, we observed that ROS is an important upstream signal for AMPK activation during ginsenoside Rh2 treatment.Taken together, these results indicate that ginsenoside Rh2 is the most effective candidate for preventing metabolic disorders such as obesity and that it acts via the AMPK signaling pathway. Thus, AMPK signaling might contribute toward improving human health.     

Maintenance of red blood cell integrity by AMP-activated protein kinase α1 catalytic subunit

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a pivotal role in regulating cellular energy metabolism. We previously showed that AMPKα1−/− mice develop moderate anemia associated with splenomegaly and high reticulocytosis. Here, we report that splenectomy of AMPKα1−/− mice worsened anemia supporting evidence that AMPKα1−/− mice developed a compensatory response through extramedullary erythropoiesis in the spleen. Transplantation of bone marrow from AMPKα1−/− mice into wild-type recipients recapitulated the hematologic phenotype. Further, AMPKα1−/− red blood cells (RBC) showed less deformability in response to shear stress limiting their membrane flexibility. Thus, our results highlight the crucial role of AMPK to preserve RBC integrity.     

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。     

Salicylate acutely stimulates 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase and insulin-independent glucose transport in rat skeletal muscles

Salicylate (SAL) has been recently implicated in the antidiabetic effect in humans. We assessed whether 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in skeletal muscle is involved in the effect of SAL on glucose homeostasis. Rat fast-twitch epitrochlearis and slow-twitch soleus muscles were incubated in buffer containing SAL. Intracellular concentrations of SAL increased rapidly (<5 min) in both skeletal muscles, and the Thr¹⁷² phosphorylation of the α subunit of AMPK increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. SAL increased both AMPKα1 and AMPKα2 activities. These increases in enzyme activity were accompanied by an increase in the activity of 3-O-methyl-d-glucose transport, and decreases in ATP, phosphocreatine, and glycogen contents. SAL did not change the phosphorylation of insulin receptor signaling including insulin receptor substrate 1, Akt, and p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase. These results suggest that SAL may be transported into skeletal muscle and may stimulate AMPK and glucose transport via energy deprivation in multiple muscle types. Skeletal muscle AMPK might be part of the mechanism responsible for the metabolic improvement induced by SAL.