Treatment with AMPK inhibitor Compound C (Figures 4B, and Figure S4C and D in Additional file 4) or knockdown of AMPK α2 (Figures 4C and Figure S4 E-G in Additional file 4) dramatically decreased sphere formation in MCF7, MDAMB231 and BT 474 breast cancer cell lines. Here, PRKAA2 is linked to breast cancer.