Different expression of the catalytic alpha subunits of the AMP activated protein kinase--an immunohistochemical study in human tissue.

AMPK is an ubiquitously distributed multienzyme complex. It is an important energy sensor and regulator of cellular metabolic activity. In this study we analyzed for the first time the cellular distribution of the catalytically active subunits AMPK alpha 1 and alpha 2 in different human tissues by immunohistochemistry. We found different expression patterns for both isoforms. AMPK alpha 2 expression clearly dominates in skeletal myocytes and cardiomyocytes, whereas AMPK alpha 1 dominates in a number of secreting cells, like mammary glands, islets of langerhans and cells of the colon crypts.