该基因编码的蛋白属于ser/thr蛋白激酶家族它是5'-原AMP活化蛋白激酶（AMPK）的催化亚单位。ampk是一种保存在所有真核细胞中的细胞能量传感器。ampk的激酶活性被提高细胞amp/atp比值的刺激激活。AMPK通过磷酸化调节许多关键代谢酶的活性它通过关闭消耗ATP的生物合成途径，保护细胞免受导致ATP消耗的压力另外，还观察到编码不同亚型的剪接转录变体。[由RefSeq提供，2008年7月]
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]