TOS-sing aside the glycolytic role of HK2/hexokinase-II to activate autophagy.
Hexokinase is the first enzyme in the glycolytic pathway catalyzing the reaction in which glucose is phosphorylated into glucose-6-phosphate. Mammals possess 4 isoforms of hexokinase; HK2 (hexokinase 2) is the predominant form in insulin-sensitive tissues such as adipocytes, as well as skeletal and cardiac muscle. In addition to its function in glucose metabolism, HK2 is associated with cardiomyocyte protection against mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic cell death; whether or not HK2 played a role in cardioprotective autophagy was yet to be discovered. However, in a recent study highlighted by a punctum in this issue of Autophagy, Roberts et al. addressed this possibility, uncovering a direct link between HK2, TORC1, and autophagy regulation.
['Gatica|Damián|D|', 'Klionsky|Daniel J|DJ|']
D000818:Animals D001343:Autophagy D006019:Glycolysis D006593:Hexokinase D006801:Humans D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac D010766:Phosphorylation
hexokinase-II autophagy cardiomyocytes MTORC1 TOR signaling motif