Abstract : AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) functions as a signaling hub to balance energy supply with demand. Phosphorylation of activation loop Thr172 has been considered as an essential step in AMPK activation. In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Scott and colleagues show that the small molecule direct AMPK activator, A-769662, bypasses this phosphorylation event, and acts synergistically with AMP on naive AMPK.
