Changes in PKM2 Associate with Prostate Cancer Progression

Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) is essential for aerobic glycolysis, the dominant metabolic pathway utilized by cancer cells. To determine the association of PKM2 with prostate cancer (PC), we examined 29 primary PC and three lymph node metastatic tumors; elevation of PKM2 was observed in Gleason 8-10 tumors compared to Gleason 6-7 carcinomas. High PKM2 was detected by immunohistochemistry in more aggressive xenograft tumors derived from PC stem-like cells (PCSCs) compared to those produced from non-PCSCs. While PCSCs and non-PCSCs expressed comparable levels of PKM2, distinct posttranslational modifications were observed. Collectively, upregulation and specific modification to PKM2 associate with PC progression.