The yeast Snf1 kinase and its mammalian ortholog, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), regulate responses to metabolic stress. Previous studies identified a glycogen-binding domain in the AMPK beta1 subunit, and the sequence is conserved in the Snf1 kinase beta subunits Gal83 and Sip2. Here we use genetic analysis to assess the role of this domain in vivo. Alteration of Gal83 at residues that a...

The role of glycogen in the central nervous system is intimately linked with the glycolytic pathway. Glycogen is synthesized from glucose, the primary substrate for glycolysis, and degraded to glucose-6-phosphate. The metabolic cost of shunting glucose via glycogen exceeds that of simple phosphorylation of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate by hexokinase; thus, there must be a metabolic advantage i...

We have determined uterine glycogen content, metabolizing enzyme expression and activity in the mink, a species that exhibits obligatory embryonic diapause, resulting in delayed implantation. Gross uterine glycogen concentrations were highest in estrus, decreased 50% by diapause and 90% in pregnancy (P ≤ 0.05). Endometrial glycogen deposits, which localized primarily to glandular and luminal ep...

A small portion of cellular glycogen is transported to and degraded in lysosomes by acid α-glucosidase (GAA) in mammals, but it is unclear why and how glycogen is transported to the lysosomes. Stbd1 has recently been proposed to participate in glycogen trafficking to lysosomes. However, our previous study demonstrated that knockdown of Stbd1 in GAA knock-out mice did not alter lysosomal glycoge...

Glycogen synthetase (uridine diphosphate glucose-glycogen glucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.11) has been extensively studied in liver and in skeletal muscle (3-8). In extracts from a variety of tissues, measurements of the activity of the enzymes catalyzing the steps from n-glucose 6-phosphate to glycogen suggested that glycogen synthetase was rate-limiting and, hence, was likely to be important in...

the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of preslaughter shackling durations on some blood parameters, breast and thigh meat quality traits, and muscle metabolites in broilers. the effects of shackling were determined in a group of ross 308 broilers (240 birds) aged 42 days. four shackling treatments were used in experimental tests: shackling of broilers for 10 (group g10; as contro...

Mice with muscle-specific knockout of the Glut4 glucose transporter (muscle-G4KO) are insulin resistant and mildly diabetic. Here we show that despite markedly reduced glucose transport in muscle, muscle glycogen content in the fasted state is increased. We sought to determine the mechanism(s). Basal glycogen synthase activity is increased by 34% and glycogen phosphorylase activity is decreased...

Progressive myoclonus epilepsy of Lafora type (LD, MIM 254780) is a fatal autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the presence of progressive neurological deterioration, myoclonus, epilepsy and polyglucosan intracellular inclusion bodies, called Lafora bodies. Lafora bodies resemble glycogen with reduced branching, suggesting an alteration in glycogen metabolism. Linkage analysis and homo...

pHu of meat is an index of high quality since it is associated with a bright red colour, increased tenderness, increased flavour and increased keeping and cooking qualities. Few studies have examined glycogen level and/or metabolism directly in meat producing animals. Instead most studies have examined the pHu of meat as an index of glycogen metabolism. This is unfortunate since the pHu of meat...