Cell localization:Cytoplasm.The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the ser/thr protein kinase family. It is the catalytic subunit of the 5-prime-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK is a cellµLar energy sensor conserved in all eukaryotic cells. The kinase activity of AMPK is activated by the stimµLi that increase the cellµLar AMP/ATP ratio. AMPK regµLates the activities of a number of key metabolic enzymes through phosphorylation. It protects cells from stresses that cause ATP depletion by switching off ATP-consuming biosynthetic pathways. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been observed. [provided by RefSeq, JµL 2008],
