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Cells Feb 2022Adult hippocampal neurogenesis-the generation of new functional neurones in the adult brain-is impaired in aging and many neurodegenerative disorders. We recently showed... (Review)
Review
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis-the generation of new functional neurones in the adult brain-is impaired in aging and many neurodegenerative disorders. We recently showed that the acylated version of the gut hormone ghrelin (acyl-ghrelin) stimulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis while the unacylated form of ghrelin inhibits it, thus demonstrating a previously unknown function of unacyl-ghrelin in modulating hippocampal plasticity. Analysis of plasma samples from Parkinson's disease patients with dementia demonstrated a reduced acyl-ghrelin:unacyl-ghrelin ratio compared to both healthy controls and cognitively intact Parkinson's disease patients. These data, from mouse and human studies, suggest that restoring acyl-ghrelin signalling may promote the activation of pathways to support memory function. In this short review, we discuss the evidence for ghrelin's role in regulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis and the enzymes involved in ghrelin acylation and de-acylation as targets to treat mood-related disorders and dementia.
Topics: Acylation; Animals; Dementia; Ghrelin; Hippocampus; Humans; Mice; Neurogenesis; Parkinson Disease
PubMed: 35269387
DOI: 10.3390/cells11050765 -
Journal of Molecular Biology Aug 2020S-acylation, whereby a fatty acid chain is covalently linked to a cysteine residue by a thioester linkage, is the most prevalent kind of lipid modification of proteins.... (Review)
Review
S-acylation, whereby a fatty acid chain is covalently linked to a cysteine residue by a thioester linkage, is the most prevalent kind of lipid modification of proteins. Thousands of proteins are targets of this post-translational modification, which is catalyzed by a family of eukaryotic integral membrane enzymes known as DHHC protein acyltransferases (DHHC-PATs). Our knowledge of the repertoire of S-acylated proteins has been rapidly expanding owing to development of the chemoproteomic techniques. There has also been an increasing number of reports in the literature documenting the importance of S-acylation in human physiology and disease. Recently, the first atomic structures of two different DHHC-PATs were determined using X-ray crystallography. This review will focus on the insights gained into the molecular mechanism of DHHC-PATs from these structures and highlight representative data from the biochemical literature that they help explain.
Topics: Acylation; Acyltransferases; Crystallography, X-Ray; Humans; Models, Molecular; Protein Domains; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 32522557
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.05.023 -
Open Biology Mar 2021Post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination are well-studied events with a recognized importance in all aspects of cellular... (Review)
Review
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination are well-studied events with a recognized importance in all aspects of cellular function. By contrast, protein S-acylation, although a widespread PTM with important functions in most physiological systems, has received far less attention. Perturbations in S-acylation are linked to various disorders, including intellectual disability, cancer and diabetes, suggesting that this less-studied modification is likely to be of considerable biological importance. As an exemplar, in this review, we focus on the newly emerging links between S-acylation and the hormone insulin. Specifically, we examine how S-acylation regulates key components of the insulin secretion and insulin response pathways. The proteins discussed highlight the diverse array of proteins that are modified by S-acylation, including channels, transporters, receptors and trafficking proteins and also illustrate the diverse effects that S-acylation has on these proteins, from membrane binding and micro-localization to regulation of protein sorting and protein interactions.
Topics: Acylation; Animals; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Secretion; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33784857
DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210017 -
Molecular Metabolism Jul 2021The only proteins known to be modified by O-linked lipidation are Wnts and ghrelin, and enzymatic removal of this post-translational modification inhibits ligand...
OBJECTIVES
The only proteins known to be modified by O-linked lipidation are Wnts and ghrelin, and enzymatic removal of this post-translational modification inhibits ligand activity. Indeed, the Wnt-deacylase activity of Notum is the basis of its ability to act as a feedback inhibitor of Wnt signalling. Whether Notum also deacylates ghrelin has not been determined.
METHODS
We used mass spectrometry to assay ghrelin deacylation by Notum and co-crystallisation to reveal enzyme-substrate interactions at the atomic level. CRISPR/Cas technology was used to tag endogenous Notum and assess its localisation in mice while liver-specific Notum knock-out mice allowed us to investigate the physiological role of Notum in modulating the level of ghrelin deacylation.
RESULTS
Mass spectrometry detected the removal of octanoyl from ghrelin by purified active Notum but not by an inactive mutant. The 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of the Notum-ghrelin complex showed that the octanoyl lipid was accommodated in the hydrophobic pocket of the Notum. The knock-in allele expressing HA-tagged Notum revealed that Notum was produced in the liver and present in the bloodstream, albeit at a low level. Liver-specific inactivation of Notum in animals fed a high-fat diet led to a small but significant increase in acylated ghrelin in the circulation, while no such increase was seen in wild-type animals on the same diet.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, our data demonstrate that Notum can act as a ghrelin deacylase, and that this may be physiologically relevant under high-fat diet conditions. Our study therefore adds Notum to the list of enzymes, including butyrylcholinesterase and other carboxylesterases, that modulate the acylation state of ghrelin. The contribution of multiple enzymes could help tune the activity of this important hormone to a wide range of physiological conditions.
Topics: Acylation; Animals; Butyrylcholinesterase; Esterases; Ghrelin; Humans; Ligands; Male; Mice; Mice, Knockout
PubMed: 33647468
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101201 -
Communications Biology Sep 2023Cytosolic citrate is imported from the mitochondria by SLC25A1, and from the extracellular milieu by SLC13A5. In the cytosol, citrate is used by ACLY to generate...
Cytosolic citrate is imported from the mitochondria by SLC25A1, and from the extracellular milieu by SLC13A5. In the cytosol, citrate is used by ACLY to generate acetyl-CoA, which can then be exported to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by SLC33A1. Here, we report the generation of mice with systemic overexpression (sTg) of SLC25A1 or SLC13A5. Both animals displayed increased cytosolic levels of citrate and acetyl-CoA; however, SLC13A5 sTg mice developed a progeria-like phenotype with premature death, while SLC25A1 sTg mice did not. Analysis of the metabolic profile revealed widespread differences. Furthermore, SLC13A5 sTg mice displayed increased engagement of the ER acetylation machinery through SLC33A1, while SLC25A1 sTg mice did not. In conclusion, our findings point to different biological responses to SLC13A5- or SLC25A1-mediated import of citrate and suggest that the directionality of the citrate/acetyl-CoA pathway can transduce different signals.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Acetyl Coenzyme A; Acetylation; Citrates; Citric Acid; Phenotype
PubMed: 37689798
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05311-1 -
Cell Communication and Signaling : CCS Feb 2024The phenomenon of phase separation is quite common in cells, and it is involved in multiple processes of life activities. However, the current research on the... (Review)
Review
The phenomenon of phase separation is quite common in cells, and it is involved in multiple processes of life activities. However, the current research on the correlation between protein modifications and phase separation and the interference with the tendency of phase separation has some limitations. Here we focus on several post-translational modifications of proteins, including protein phosphorylation modification at multiple sites, methylation modification, acetylation modification, ubiquitination modification, SUMOylation modification, etc., which regulate the formation of phase separation and the stability of phase separation structure through multivalent interactions. This regulatory role is closely related to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, tumors, viral infections, and other diseases, and also plays essential functions in environmental stress, DNA damage repair, transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, and cell homeostasis of living organisms, which provides an idea to explore the interaction between novel protein post-translational modifications and phase separation. Video Abstract.
Topics: Phase Separation; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Ubiquitination; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Acetylation
PubMed: 38347544
DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01380-1 -
Cell Proliferation Dec 2022SETDB1 is a methyltransferase responsible for the methylation of histone H3-lysine-9, which is mainly related to heterochromatin formation. SETDB1 is overexpressed in...
OBJECTIVES
SETDB1 is a methyltransferase responsible for the methylation of histone H3-lysine-9, which is mainly related to heterochromatin formation. SETDB1 is overexpressed in various cancer types and is associated with an aggressive phenotype. In agreement with its activity, it mainly exhibits a nuclear localization; however, in several cell types a cytoplasmic localization was reported. Here we looked for cytoplasmic functions of SETDB1.
METHODS
SETDB1 association with microtubules was detected by immunofluorescence and co-sedimentation. Microtubule dynamics were analysed during recovery from nocodazole treatment and by tracking microtubule plus-ends in live cells. Live cell imaging was used to study mitotic kinetics and protein-protein interaction was identified by co-immunoprecipitation.
RESULTS
SETDB1 co-sedimented with microtubules and partially colocalized with microtubules. SETDB1 partial silencing led to faster polymerization and reduced rate of catastrophe events of microtubules in parallel to reduced proliferation rate and slower mitotic kinetics. Interestingly, over-expression of either wild-type or catalytic dead SETDB1 altered microtubule polymerization rate to the same extent, suggesting that SETDB1 may affect microtubule dynamics by a methylation-independent mechanism. Moreover, SETDB1 co-immunoprecipitated with HDAC6 and tubulin acetylation levels were increased upon silencing of SETDB1.
CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, our study suggests a model in which SETDB1 affects microtubule dynamics by interacting with both microtubules and HDAC6 to enhance tubulin deacetylation. Overall, our results suggest a novel cytoplasmic role for SETDB1 in the regulation of microtubule dynamics.
Topics: Tubulin; Microtubules; Acetylation; Methylation
PubMed: 36330589
DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13348 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Feb 2022-myristoylation on glycine is an irreversible modification that has long been recognized to govern protein localization and function. In contrast, the biological roles...
-myristoylation on glycine is an irreversible modification that has long been recognized to govern protein localization and function. In contrast, the biological roles of lysine myristoylation remain ill-defined. We demonstrate that the cytoplasmic scaffolding protein, gravin-α/A kinase-anchoring protein 12, is myristoylated on two lysine residues embedded in its carboxyl-terminal protein kinase A (PKA) binding domain. Histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) docks to an adjacent region of gravin-α and demyristoylates these sites. In brown and white adipocytes, lysine myristoylation of gravin-α is required for signaling via β- and β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs), which are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Lysine myristoylation of gravin-α drives β-ARs to lipid raft membrane microdomains, which results in PKA activation and downstream signaling that culminates in protective thermogenic gene expression. These findings define reversible lysine myristoylation as a mechanism for controlling GPCR signaling and highlight the potential of inhibiting HDAC11 to manipulate adipocyte phenotypes for therapeutic purposes.
Topics: 3T3-L1 Cells; Acylation; Adipocytes; Animals; Gene Expression Regulation; Histone Deacetylases; Humans; Lysine; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout
PubMed: 35149557
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119678119 -
ELife May 2023In nucleosomes, histone N-terminal tails exist in dynamic equilibrium between free/accessible and collapsed/DNA-bound states. The latter state is expected to impact...
In nucleosomes, histone N-terminal tails exist in dynamic equilibrium between free/accessible and collapsed/DNA-bound states. The latter state is expected to impact histone N-termini availability to the epigenetic machinery. Notably, H3 tail acetylation (e.g. K9ac, K14ac, K18ac) is linked to increased H3K4me3 engagement by the BPTF PHD finger, but it is unknown if this mechanism has a broader extension. Here, we show that H3 tail acetylation promotes nucleosomal accessibility to other H3K4 methyl readers, and importantly, extends to H3K4 writers, notably methyltransferase MLL1. This regulation is not observed on peptide substrates yet occurs on the H3 tail, as determined with fully-defined heterotypic nucleosomes. In vivo, H3 tail acetylation is directly and dynamically coupled with H3K4 methylation levels. Together, these observations reveal an acetylation 'chromatin switch' on the H3 tail that modulates read-write accessibility in nucleosomes and resolves the long-standing question of why H3K4me3 levels are coupled with H3 acetylation.
Topics: Chromatin; Histones; Nucleosomes; Methylation; Acetylation
PubMed: 37204295
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.82596 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022In this review, we discuss Friedel-Crafts-type aromatic amidation and acylation reactions, not exhaustively, but mainly based on our research results. The electrophilic... (Review)
Review
In this review, we discuss Friedel-Crafts-type aromatic amidation and acylation reactions, not exhaustively, but mainly based on our research results. The electrophilic species involved are isocyanate cation and acylium cation, respectively, and both have a common C=O structure, which can be generated from carboxylic acid functionalities in a strong Brønsted acid. Carbamates substituted with methyl salicylate can be easily ionized to the isocyanate cation upon (di)protonation of the salicylate. Carboxylic acids can be used directly as a source of acylium cations. However, aminocarboxylic acids are inert in acidic media because two positively charged sites, ammonium and acylium cation, will be generated, resulting in energetically unfavorable charge-charge repulsion. Nevertheless, the aromatic acylation of aminocarboxylic acids can be achieved by using tailored phosphoric acid esters as Lewis bases to abrogate the charge-charge repulsion. Both examples tame the superelectrophilic character.
Topics: Acids; Acylation; Ammonium Compounds; Carbamates; Carboxylic Acids; Cations; Isocyanates; Lewis Bases; Molecular Structure; Organophosphates; Salicylates
PubMed: 36144714
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185984