AMPK hierarchy: A matter of space and time

Abstract

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key sensor of energy balance in eukaryotic cells, responding to low energy status by switching off anabolic pathways and upregulating catabolic processes. Zong and colleagues now show that different intensities of stimulation trigger activation of specific subcellular pools of AMPK, resulting in phosphorylation of different downstream targets.