REGULATION OF PROTEIN KINASES AND THEIR SUBSTRATES

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/124000

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Protein kinases are important regulatory enzymes involved in the control of virtually all physiological processes at the cellular level. The human genome is thought to contain approximately 1500 protein kinases to control these processes. These enzymes add phosphate groups to target proteins to modify their functions in a reversible manner with protein phosphatases removing the phosphate groups. This project is concerned with studying a metabolic stress sensing protein kinase called the AMP activated protein kinase and its substrates. During periods of high energy demand such as vigorous exercise or nutrient stress induced by starvation or ischaemia the AMP activated protein kinase is responsible for shutting down energy requiring metabolic pathways and accelerating metabolism including glucose uptake and fatty acid metabolism to restore cellular energy levels. The AMP activated protein kinase regulates key enzymes in the control of cholesterol and lipid (fatty acid) synthesis as well as endothelial NO synthase, a key regulator of blood pressure and platelet activity. For these reasons it is potentially important in cardiovascular disease. The AMP activated protein kinase also appears responsible for exercise induced glucose uptake and it is known that exercise helps restore glucose control in age onset or type II diabetic patients. Since the AMP acitivated protein kinase accelerates fatty acid metabolism it may also have a role in obesity. While many factors are thought to be involved in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity the AMP activated protein kinase is a key metabolic regulatory enzyme relevant to the most important diseases in Australia. Understanding the structure and function of the AMP activated protein kinase as well as the genes that encode this enzyme is an important goal.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2000

End Date: 01-01-2004

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $1,296,159.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Biochemistry And Cell Biology Not Elsewhere Classified

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

AMP activated protein kinase | cardiovascular | diabetes | endothelial NO synthase | intrasteric | lipid metabolism | muscle contraction exercise | phosphorylation | protein kinases

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