Abbott MJ, Bogachus LD, Turcotte LP. AMPK␣2 deficiency uncovers time dependency in the regulation of contraction-induced palmitate and glucose uptake in mouse muscle. J Appl Physiol 111: 125-134, 2011. First published May 5, 2011 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00807.2010.-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a fuel sensor in skeletal muscle with multiple downstream signaling targets that may be triggered by increases in intracellular Ca 2ϩ concentration ([Ca 2ϩ ]). The purpose of this study was to determine whether increases in intracellular [Ca 2ϩ ] induced by caffeine act solely via AMPK␣ 2 and whether AMPK␣2 is essential to increase glucose uptake, fatty acid (FA) uptake, and FA oxidation in contracting skeletal muscle. Hindlimbs from wild-type (WT) or AMPK␣ 2 dominant-negative (DN) transgene mice were perfused during rest (n ϭ 11), treatment with 3 mM caffeine (n ϭ 10), or muscle contraction (n ϭ 11). Time-dependent effects on glucose and FA uptake were uncovered throughout the 20-min muscle contraction perfusion period (P Ͻ 0.05). Glucose uptake rates did not increase in DN mice during muscle contraction until the last 5 min of the protocol (P Ͻ 0.05). FA uptake rates were elevated at the onset of muscle contraction and diminished by the end of the protocol in DN mice (P Ͻ 0.05). FA oxidation rates were abolished in the DN mice during muscle contraction (P Ͻ 0.05). The DN transgene had no effect on caffeine-induced FA uptake and oxidation (P Ͼ 0.05). Glucose uptake rates were blunted in caffeine-treated DN mice (P Ͻ 0.05). The DN transgene resulted in a greater use of intramuscular triglycerides as a fuel source during muscle contraction. The DN transgene did not alter caffeine-or contraction-mediated changes in the phosphorylation of Ca 2ϩ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I or ERK1/2 (P Ͼ 0.05). These data suggest that AMPK␣ 2 is involved in the regulation of substrate uptake in a time-dependent manner in contracting muscle but is not necessary for regulation of FA uptake and oxidation during caffeine treatment. ERK1/2; muscle contraction; caffeine; calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase; acetyl-CoA carboxylase EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT MULTIPLE cellular signals regulate the changes in substrate metabolism with muscle contraction, including the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling cascade (2, 34, 35, 52). During states of low energy, such as muscle contraction or exercise, it is widely accepted that liver kinase B1 (LKB1) acts as an upstream AMPK kinase that phosphorylates and activates AMPK and initiates a multitude of signaling events to maintain energy homeostasis (39 -41). Although strong evidence indicates that the LKB1-AMPK cascade is a key signaling pathway that regulates changes in glucose uptake, fatty acid (FA) uptake, and FA oxidation in contracting skeletal muscle (16,25,54,56), data also show that AMPK may not be the sole signal mediating contractioninduced changes in glucose uptake, FA uptake, and FA oxidation (35,36,56).Along with AMPK, mounting data suggest that increas...