Plays an essential role in total transketolase activity and cell proliferation in cancer cells; after transfection with anti-TKTL1 siRNA, total transketolase activity dramatically decreases and proliferation was significantly inhibited in cancer cells. Plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis. . This is the function of TKTL2 (transketolase like 2, Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000151005).