Nuclear PKM2 promotes the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma by inducing EMT and post-translationally repressing TGIF2.

ABSTRACT: Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), a glycolytic enzyme, acts as a metabolic function leading to an energy production critical for cancer progression, known as Warburg effect. In this study we showed a pivotal role of PKM2 acting as a non-metabolic function to promote cancer cell progression in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) through the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is crucial for the potential in cancer cell invasion, and post-translational TGIF2 degradation. PKM2 immunoreaction was strong in the cytoplasm of invasive cancer cells, and distinct in the nucleus of spindle-shaped cancer cells with EMT characteristics. TGIF2 nuclear immunoreaction was seen in dysplastic epithelial cells but was repressed in cancer cells. In vitro analyses, cytoplasmic ex

SUBMITTER: Tanaka F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6173467 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature