New studies in yeast may improve our understanding of human metabolic disorders. Clement et al. characterized regulation of the heterotri-meric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) alpha subunit Gpa1 in yeast. Gpa1 is part of the G protein that facilitates signaling by the receptor for mating pheromone. Clement et al. report that Gpa1 provides a molecular link to signaling pathways that monitor nutrient availability. The same enzymes that regulated phosphorylation of the yeast homolog of AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, an enzyme critical to energy sensing in mammals) also regulated phosphorylation of Gpal when cells were deprived of glucose.
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