Cited by 926Metabolism, Diabetes, and CancerBiochemical and Molecular ResearchProtein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling

Structure of mammalian AMPK and its regulation by ADP

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Xiao, Bing, Sanders, Matthew J., Underwood, Elizabeth, Heath, Richard, Mayer, Faith V., Carmena, David, Jing, Chun, Walker, Philip A. +8 more·2011·Nature

Abstract

The heterotrimeric AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has a key role in regulating cellular energy metabolism; in response to a fall in intracellular ATP levels it activates energy-producing pathways and inhibits energy-consuming processes. AMPK has been implicated in a number of diseases related to energy metabolism including type 2 diabetes, obesity and, most recently, cancer. AMPK is converted from an inactive form to a catalytically competent form by phosphorylation of the activation loop within the kinase domain: AMP binding to the γ-regulatory domain promotes phosphorylation by the upstream kinase, protects the enzyme against dephosphorylation, as well as causing allosteric activation. Here we show that ADP binding to just one of the two exchangeable AXP (AMP/ADP/ATP) binding sites on the regulatory domain protects the enzyme from dephosphorylation, although it does not lead to allosteric activation. Our studies show that active mammalian AMPK displays significantly tighter binding to ADP than to Mg-ATP, explaining how the enzyme is regulated under physiological conditions where the concentration of Mg-ATP is higher than that of ADP and much higher than that of AMP. We have determined the crystal structure of an active AMPK complex. The structure shows how the activation loop of the kinase domain is stabilized by the regulatory domain and how the kinase linker region interacts with the regulatory nucleotide-binding site that mediates protection against dephosphorylation. From our biochemical and structural data we develop a model for how the energy status of a cell regulates AMPK activity.

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  1. [28]Otwinowski Z Minor W Data Collection and Processing Proceedings of the CCP4 Study Weekend 1993 556 562 SERC Daresbury Laboratory Warrington 1993

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Authors
Xiao, B., Sanders, M. J., Underwood, E., Heath, R., Mayer, F. V., Carmena, D., Jing, C., Walker, P. A., Eccleston, J. F., Haire, L. F., Saiu, P., Howell, S. A., Aasland, R., Martin, S. R., Carling, D., & Gamblin, S. J.
Affiliations
  • National Institute for Medical Research (GB)
  • The Francis Crick Institute (GB)
  • Hammersmith Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
Carling, David
Venue
Nature
Published
2011-03-13
Volume
472
Issue
7342
Pages
230-233
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2070910260
Cited by
926
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 62 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 73 · 2013: 87 · 2012: 73
FWCI
33.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Diamond Light Source
  • Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Biochemical and Molecular Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling
Keywords
AMPK, ADP binding, activation loop phosphorylation, energy metabolism regulation, nucleotide binding site, kinase domain, allosteric activation, AMP binding, regulatory domain
MeSH terms
Adenosine Diphosphate, Adenosine Monophosphate, Adenosine Triphosphate, Allosteric Regulation, Animals, Binding Sites, Enzyme Activation, Kinetics, Magnesium, Mammals, Models, Molecular, Phosphorylation, Protein Binding, Thermodynamics, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Crystallography, X-Ray, AMP-Activated Protein Kinases

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