Abstract: Unlike normal cells, cancer cells can generate energy through rapid glycolysis even in the presence of ample oxygen，which is known as aerobic glycolysis. Pyruvate kinase (PK) regulates the final rate-limiting step of glycolysis and catalyzes the dephosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to produce pyruvate and ATP. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), one of the PK isoenzymes, is specially expressed in cancer cells. PKM2 play a central role not only in metabolic reprogramming but also in direct regulation of gene expression and subsequent cell cycle progression.

Key words: aerobic glycolysis(The Warburg effect), pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2, cancer metabolism