Guigas B, Viollet B. Targeting AMPK: From Ancient Drugs to New Small-Molecule Activators.
ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017;
107:327-350. [PMID:
27812986 DOI:
10.1007/978-3-319-43589-3_13]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionary conserved and ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine kinase mainly acting as a key regulator of cellular energy homeostasis. AMPK is a heterotrimeric protein complex, consisting of a catalytic α subunit and two regulatory β and γ subunits, whose activity is tightly regulated by changes in adenine nucleotides and several posttranslational modifications. Once activated in response to energy deficit, AMPK concomitantly inhibits ATP-consuming anabolic processes and promotes ATP-generating catabolic pathways via direct phosphorylation of multiple downstream effectors, leading to restoration of cellular energy balance. A growing number of energy/nutrient-independent functions of AMPK are also regularly reported, progressively expanding its role to regulation of non-metabolic cellular processes. Historically, AMPK as a therapeutic target has attracted much of interest due to its potential impact on metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, but has also recently received considerable renewed attention in the framework of cancer studies, highlighting the persistent need for selective, reversible, potent, and tissue-specific activators. In this chapter, we review the most recent advances in the understanding of the mechanism(s) of action of the current portfolio of AMPK activators, including plant-derived natural compounds and newly discovered small-molecule agonists directly targeting various AMPK subunits.
Collapse