Joungmok Kim
Discovers mTORC1 phosphorylates ULK1 at Ser757 to block AMPK from switching on autophagy
Training/postdoc in Kun-Liang Guan's lab, Univ. of Michigan Life Sciences Institute → UC San Diego · now Professor, Dept. of Oral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul
First author (KIM2011): AMPK directly phosphorylates ULK1 at activating sites, mTORC1 phosphorylates Ser757 to keep it off and block AMPK access — the tug-of-war deciding autophagy on/off. Co-authored with Guan an influential 2019 review (KIM2019) reframing mTOR as the central hub of nutrient signaling.
Long apprenticeship in Guan's lab (Michigan → UCSD). Now Professor at Kyung Hee dental school, Seoul — extending AMPK/mTOR/autophagy biology into oral/dental contexts, retains UCSD Pharmacology affiliation.
Milestones in the Atlas
| Year | Evidence | Study |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | M | AMPK and mTOR regulate autophagy through direct phosphorylation of Ulk1 KIM2011 First author: mTORC1 phosphorylates ULK1 at Ser757 to keep autophagy off and block AMPK's activating site. |
| 2019 | R | mTOR as a central hub of nutrient signalling and cell growth KIM2019 Co-authors influential review reframing mTOR as the central hub integrating nutrient signals with cell growth. |