AMPK Promotes Autophagy by Facilitating Mitochondrial Fission Chen-Song Zhang, Sheng-Cai Lin  Cell Metabolism  Volume 23, Issue 3, Pages 399-401 (March 2016) DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.02.017 Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 AMPK Phosphorylates MFF to Promote Mitochondrial Fission and Mitophagy External insults, including ETC inhibitors rotenone and antimycin A, and internal insults such as increased ROS levels impair mitochondrial function and disrupt ATP synthesis, leading to an increased AMP/ATP ratio that activates AMPK. In parallel, allosteric activators of AMPK such as the AMP mimetic AICAR and the compound A769662 directly stimulate AMPK without perturbing mitochondria. Activated AMPK phosphorylates MFF on its Ser155 and Ser172 sites, recruiting Drp1 from cytosol to the mitochondrial outer membrane. Upon recruitment, Drp1 promotes the constriction and fission of mitochondria, a prerequisite for the engulfment of mitochondria by autophagosome or mitophagy. (Illustrator, Huiling Guo.) Cell Metabolism 2016 23, 399-401DOI: (10.1016/j.cmet.2016.02.017) Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. Terms and Conditions