6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 4 acts as a protein kinase to regulate glioblastoma progression by activating the AKT/forkhead box O1 pathway.

ABSTRACT

Abnormal expression of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 4 (PFKFB4) is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors, and PFKFB4 has been shown to function as a protein kinase. However, the molecular mechanisms through which PFKFB4 functions in glioblastoma (GBM) remain poorly understood. Accordingly, in this study, we assessed the roles of PFKFB4 in GBM. Compared to in adjacent tissues, PFKFB4 was highly expressed in GBM, and its expression level was negatively correlated with the overall survival time. In addition, knockdown of PFKFB4 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of GBM cells and promoted apoptosis. In a xenograft tumor model, tumor growth was inhibited by knockdown of PFKFB4 using short hairpin RNA. Further studies demonstrated that PFKFB4 is involved in regulating the AKT signaling pathway. Thus, PFKFB4 acts as a protein kinase to regulate GBM progression by activating the AKT/forkhead box O1 pathway, which may be a potential therapeutic target in GBM.