AMPK and autophagy get connected

The energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is activated by ATP depletion or glucose starvation, was previously thought to activate autophagy entirely through its ability to inactivate mTOR complex-1. Two recent papers now provide evidence that it also mediates this by direct phosphorylation of the protein kinase that initiate autophagy, ULK1. Surprisingly, however, the two groups identified different sites on ULK1.