title: AMPK activators: mechanisms of action and physiological activities.
abstract: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a central regulator of energy homeostasis, which coordinates metabolic pathways and thus balances nutrient supply with energy demand. Because of the favorable physiological outcomes of AMPK activation on metabolism, AMPK has been considered to be an important therapeutic target for controlling human diseases including metabolic syndrome and cancer. Thus, activators of AMPK may have potential as novel therapeutics for these diseases. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of both indirect and direct AMPK activators and their modes of action in relation to the structure of AMPK. We discuss the functional differences among isoform-specific AMPK complexes and their significance regarding the development of novel AMPK activators and the potential for combining different AMPK activators in the treatment of human disease.
authors.affiliation: Depatment of Oral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Joungmok
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Goowon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Joohun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ha
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000494:Allosteric Regulation; D000818:Animals; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases