Prognostic value and immunological role of Adenylate Kinase 2 in human glioma

Abstract

Abstract Adenylate Kinase 2 (AK2) is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the exchange of nucleotide phosphate groups in cells, playing a crucial role in energy metabolism and transfer. Recent reports have suggested an association between AK2 and immune response in certain tumors. However, the biological function of AK2 in gliomas remains unknown. Thus, this study aims to explore the potential role of AK2 in gliomas by analyzing the relationship between AK2 gene expression and survival outcomes in glioma patients using data from the CGGA and TCGA databases and clinical samples. In addition, we assessed the correlation between AK2 expression and tumor immune score in gliomas utilizing the TIMER 2.0 tool. Furthermore, we investigated the possible biological function of AK2 in gliomas by performing GO annotation and KEGG signal pathway enrichment analyses. Our research indicates that: (1) AK2 is significantly overexpressed in gliomas and associated with poor prognosis in low-grade gliomas (LGGs); (2) AK2 expression is positively correlated with glioma grade; (3) AK2 gene knockdown induces cell apoptosis via the Caspase10/Caspase3 pathway; (4) Gene annotation and enrichment analyses reveal that AK2 function is mainly related to energy metabolism, energy transfer, and antigen presentation of glioma; (5) AK2 expression is positively correlated with the infiltration of certain immune cells. These results suggest that AK2 may serve as a promising therapeutic target and prognostic marker for LGGs.