AMPK Promotes Autophagy by Facilitating Mitochondrial Fission

AMPK senses decreased cellular energy levels, triggering mitochondrial autophagy or mitophagy through activating ULK1 and inhibiting mTORC1. In a recent report, Toyama et al. (2016) show that activated AMPK phosphorylation of MFF is critical for mitochondrial fission. Unphosphorylatable MFF mutants block mitophagy, connecting AMPK to mitochondrial fission and to mitophagy.