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Review
. 2015 May 1;128(9):1655-60.
doi: 10.1242/jcs.166629. Epub 2015 Mar 13.

Pyruvate kinase M2 at a glance

Weiwei Yang  1 , Zhimin Lu  2
Affiliations
Review

Pyruvate kinase M2 at a glance

Weiwei Yang et al. J Cell Sci. .

Abstract

Reprogrammed metabolism is a key feature of cancer cells. The pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) isoform, which is commonly upregulated in many human cancers, has been recently shown to play a crucial role in metabolism reprogramming, gene transcription and cell cycle progression. In this Cell Science at a glance article and accompanying poster, we provide a brief overview of recent advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying the regulation of PKM2 expression, enzymatic activity, metabolic functions and subcellular location. We highlight the instrumental role of the non-metabolic functions of PKM2 in tumorigenesis and evaluate the potential to target PKM2 for cancer treatment.

Keywords: Gene transcription; Metabolism reprogramming; PKM2; Protein kinase; Pyruvate kinase M2.

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