Pyruvate Kinase M2 Links Metabolism and Epigenetics: A New Target for Liver Disease Treatment

The aberrant activation of glycolysis plays a pivotal role in the progression of liver diseases. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), one of the rate-limiting enzymes of glycolysis, not only regulates cellular metabolism but also translocates to the nucleus in its dimeric form, acting as a co-factor to modulate gene transcription. To further explore the regulatory mechanisms of PKM2, this review outlines the effects of post-translational modifications on PKM2’s structure, activity, and localization, and discusses the integrative role of PKM2 in epigenetics and metabolism, providing a foundation for the development of PKM2 regulators. Due to PKM2’s distinct biochemical properties, targeting PKM2 with specific regulators may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of liver diseases.