title: Dystroglycan and AMP kinase: polarity's protectors when the power goes out.
abstract: The AMP-stimulated protein kinase regulates epithelial polarity under conditions of energy depletion by phosphorylating the myosin regulatory light chain. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Mirouse et al. demonstrate that dystroglycan and perlecan, an extracellular matrix receptor and its ligand, help localize myosin regulatory light chain, making it available for phosphorylation by AMP kinase in response to energy stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06525, USA.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seo-Mayer
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Caplan
mesh_terms: D000263:Adenylate Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016764:Cell Polarity; D049030:Dystroglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; C071927:perlecan; D049030:Dystroglycans; D000263:Adenylate Kinase