FAK tyrosine phosphorylation is regulated by AMPK and controls metabolism in human skeletal muscle

Insulin-mediated signals and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mediated signals are activated in response to physiological conditions that represent energy abundance and shortage, respectively. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is implicated in insulin signalling and cancer progression in various non-muscle cell types and plays a regulatory role during skeletal muscle differentiation. The role of FAK in skeletal muscle in relation to insulin stimulation or AMPK activation is unknown. We examined the effects of insulin or AMPK activation on FAK phosphorylation in human skeletal muscle and the direct role of FAK on glucose and lipid metabolism. We hypothesised that insulin treatment and AMPK activation would have opposing effects on FAK phosphorylation and that gene silencing of FAK would alter metabolism.

Human muscle was treated with insulin or the AMPK-activating compound 5-aminoimadazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) to determine FAK phosphorylation and glucose transport. Primary human skeletal muscle cells were used to study the effects of insulin or AICAR treatment on FAK signalling during serum starvation, as well as to determine the metabolic consequences of silencing the FAK gene, PTK2.

AMPK activation reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK in skeletal muscle. AICAR reduced p-FAK^Y397 in isolated human skeletal muscle and cultured myotubes. Insulin stimulation did not alter FAK phosphorylation. Serum starvation increased AMPK activation, as demonstrated by increased p-ACC^S222, concomitant with reduced p-FAK^Y397. FAK signalling was reduced owing to serum starvation and AICAR treatment as demonstrated by reduced p-paxillin^Y118. Silencing PTK2 in primary human skeletal muscle cells increased palmitate oxidation and reduced glycogen synthesis.

AMPK regulates FAK signalling in skeletal muscle. Moreover, siRNA-mediated FAK knockdown enhances lipid oxidation while impairing glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle. Further exploration of the interaction between AMPK and FAK may lead to novel therapeutic strategies for diabetes and other chronic conditions associated with an altered metabolic homeostasis.