AMPK, a known regulator of cellular energy homeostasis, is induced by hypoxia.21 While activation of AMPK has been demonstrated to result in reduction of tumour cell growth,22 it has also been suggested to fuel the growth of cancers, classifying it as a contextual oncogene.23 In this context, AMPK has been shown to be a positive regulator of p53 stability,24 and a recent report has suggested that TAp73 can also be stabilised by AMPK, through direct binding and phosphorylation on the Serine residue 426 (ref. 25). Here, PRKAA1 is linked to cancer.