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 cellular energy sensor conserved in all eukaryotic cells. The kinase activity of AMPK is activated by the stimuli that increase the cellular AMP/ATP ratio. AMPK regulates 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, Jul 2008],AMPK, AMPKa1,AMPK Signaling Pathway,Apoptosis,Autophagy,Autophagy_Regulator,Cancer,Cardiovascular,Cell Biology & Developmental Biology,Endocrine & Metabolism,Epigenetics & Nuclear Signaling,Hypoxia,Insulin Receptor Signaling Pathway,Kinase,Kinase_Serine/threonine kinases,Lipid Metabolism,Lipids,Lipids_Fatty Acids,Mitochondrial metabolism,mTOR Signaling Pathway,Neurodegenerative Diseases,Neurodegenerative Diseases_Amyloid Plaque and Neurofibrillary Tangle Formation in Alzheimers Disease,Neuroscience,PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway,PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway_Regulator of mTOR complex function,Protein phosphorylation,Signal Transduction,Translation Control,Translational Control_Regulation of eIF4 and p70 S6 Kinase,Warburg Effect,PRKAA1