A group of scientists in Xiamen University, led by Professor Lin Shengcai, has made a great achievement in cell metabolism research. Their article, “The Lysosomal v-ATPase-Ragulator Complex Is a Common Activator for AMPK and mTORC1, Acting as a Switch between Catabolism and Anabolism”, is published on www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(14)00279-4 on July 3, 2014.  The website is regarded as prestigious as Nature，Science and Cell.

Their findings include:
• Ragulator is essential for starvation-induced AMPK activation
• LKB1-dependent activation of AMPK takes place on late endosome/lysosome
• V-ATPase-Ragulator provides docking sites for AXIN/LKB1 endosomal translocation
• V-ATPase-Ragulator is a switch between anabolism and catabolism

This findings are of great importance to the research on and treatment of many metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, tumor and so on.

Professor Lin is the Dean of School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, His research lies in the broad area of the molecular mechanisms that underlie cell proliferation/differentiation, and development. He is also known as one of the best biologists in China.

(Source: Li Jing)