AMPK, an AMP-activated protein kinase, is an evolutionarily highly conserved cellular energy regulator that consists of a heterotrimeric structure of catalytic subunit α and regulatory subunits β and γ. Research evidence suggests that AMPK activity in chondrocytes is critical for maintaining joint homeostasis and that downregulation of AMPK activity is associated with the progression of osteoarthritis (Petursson et al., 2013; Zhao et al., 2014; Zhou et al., 2017). The gene discussed is PRKAA2; the disease is osteoarthritis.