Functions and modulation of PKM2 activity by human papillomavirus E7 oncoprotein (Review)

Most tumor cells still exhibit active glucose uptake and glycolysis under aerobic conditions, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect or aerobic glycolysis. Pyruvate kinase, one of the key enzymes in the cell glycolysis pathway, can promote the conversion of glucose to pyruvate and produce energy. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), a competitive PK subtype, is an important regulator of the aerobic glycolysis pathway in tumor cells and plays a direct role in gene expression and cell cycle regulation. Human papillomavirus (HPV) persistence is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. In recent years, it has been discovered that HPV plays an important role in malignant anal tumors and oral cancer. HPV oncoprotein E7 can promote the Warburg effect and produce a large amount of ATP, which may meet the energy requirements of cancer cell division. There appears to be a regulatory relationship between HPV E7 and PKM2, but the specific mechanism is mostly unknown. The present review article discusses the role of HPV E7 in transcriptional regulation, enzyme activity regulation, protein kinase activity regulation, post-translational modification and the immune microenvironment of PKM2 in the occurrence and development of cervical cancer.