Sirtuin 5 is Dispensable for CD8+ T Cell Effector and Memory Differentiation

CD8+ T cell effector and memory differentiation is tightly controlled at multiple levels including transcriptional, metabolic, and epigenetic regulation. Sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) is a protein deacetylase mainly located at mitochondria, but it remains unclear whether SIRT5 plays key roles in regulating CD8+ T cell effector or memory formation. Herein, with adoptive transfer of Sirt5+/+ or Sirt5−/− OT-1 cells and acute Listeria monocytogenes infection model, we demonstrate that SIRT5 deficiency does not affect CD8+ T cell effector function and that SIRT5 is not required for CD8+ T cell memory formation. Moreover, the recall response of SIRT5 deficient memory CD8+ T cells is comparable with Sirt5+/+ memory CD8+ T cells. Together, these observations suggest that SIRT5 is dispensable for the effector function and memory differentiation of CD8+ T cells.

SIRT7-Induced PHF5A Decrotonylation Regulates Aging Progress Through Alternative Splicing-Mediated Downregulation of CDK2

Dysregulation of protein posttranslational modification (PTM) can lead to a variety of pathological processes, such as abnormal sperm development, malignant tumorigenesis, depression, and aging process. SIRT7 is a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase. Besides known deacetylation, SIRT7 may also have the capacity to remove other acylation. However, the roles of SIRT7-induced other deacylation in aging are still largely unknown. Here, we found that the expression of SIRT7 was significantly increased in senescent fibroblasts and aged tissues. Knockdown or overexpression of SIRT7 can inhibit or promote fibroblast senescence. Knockdown of SIRT7 led to increased pan-lysine crotonylation (Kcr) levels in senescent fibroblasts. Using modern mass spectrometry (MS) technology, we identified 5,149 Kcr sites across 1,541 proteins in senescent fibroblasts, and providing the largest crotonylome dataset to date in senescent cells. Specifically, among the identified proteins, we found SIRT7 decrotonylated PHF5A, an alternative splicing (AS) factor, at K25. Decrotonylation of PHF5A K25 contributed to decreased CDK2 expression by retained intron (RI)-induced abnormal AS, thereby accelerating fibroblast senescence, and supporting a key role of PHF5A K25 decrotonylation in aging. Collectively, our data revealed the molecular mechanism of SIRT7-induced k25 decrotonylation of PHF5A regulating aging and provide new ideas and molecular targets for drug intervention in cellular aging and the treatment of aging-related diseases, and indicating that protein crotonylation has important implications in the regulation of aging progress.

SIRT7 is a deacetylase of N4-acetylcytidine on ribosomal RNA

N-acetyltransferase 10 catalyzes RNA N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modifications and thus regulates RNA stability and translation efficiency. However, the deacetylase for ac4C is unknown. SIRT7 was initially identified as an NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase and plays essential roles in genome stability, circadian rhythms, metabolism, and aging. In this study, we identified SIRT7 as a deacetylase of the ac4C of ribosomal (r)RNA for the first time and found it to be NAD+-independent. Our data highlight the important role of SIRT7 in rRNA ac4C modification and suggest an additional epitranscriptional regulation of aging.

Sirtuin 1 is not required for contraction-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse skeletal muscle

While it has long been known that contraction robustly stimulates skeletal muscle glucose uptake, the molecular steps regulating this increase remain incompletely defined. The mammalian ortholog of Sir2, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), is an NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase that is thought to link perturbations in energy flux associated with exercise to subsequent cellular adaptations. Nevertheless, its role in contraction-stimulated glucose uptake has not been described. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of SIRT1 to contraction-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse skeletal muscle. Using a radioactive 2-deoxyglucose uptake (2DOGU) approach, we measured ex vivo glucose uptake in unstimulated (rested) and electrically-stimulated (100 Hz contraction every 15s for 10 min; contracted) extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus from ~15 week old male and female mice with muscle-specific knockout of SIRT1 deacetylase activity (mKO) and their wildtype (WT) littermates. Skeletal muscle force decreased over the contraction protocol, although there were no differences in the rate of fatigue between genotypes. In EDL and soleus, depletion of SIRT1 deacetylase activity did not affect contraction-induced increase in glucose uptake in either sex. Interestingly, the absolute rate of contraction-stimulated 2DOGU was ~1.4-fold higher in female compared to male mice, regardless of muscle type. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that SIRT1 is not required for contraction-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse skeletal muscle. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of sex-based differences in contraction-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse skeletal muscle.

Hypothalamic GHR—SIRT1 Axis in Fasting

Many aspects of physiological functions are controlled by the hypothalamus, a brain region that connects the neuroendocrine system to whole-body metabolism. Growth hormone (GH) and the GH receptor (GHR) are expressed in hypothalamic regions known to participate in the regulation of feeding and whole-body energy homeostasis. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is the most conserved mamma-lian nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent protein deacetylase that plays a key role in controlling life span and sensing nutrient availability in the hypothalamus in response to caloric restriction. However, the interaction between GHR signaling and SIRT1 in the hypothal-amus is not established. In the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus, the anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing neurons and the orexigenic agouti-related protein (AgRP)-expressing neurons are the major regulators of feeding and energy expenditure. We show that in the ARC, the majority of GHR-expressing neurons also express SIRT1 and respond to fasting by upregulating SIRT1 expression. Accordingly, hypothalamic upregulation of SIRT1 in response to fasting is blunted in animals with GHR deletion in the AgRP neurons (AgRPEYFPΔGHR). Our data thus reveal a novel interaction between GH and SIRT1 in responses to fasting.

Ubiquitin-Dependent Rapid Degradation Conceals A Cell-Protective Function of Cytoplasmic SIRT3 Against Oxidative Stress

SIRT3 is a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase localized in mitochondria. Although several previous studies reported cytoplasmic and/or nuclear localization of SIRT3, extra-mitochondrial SIRT3 was obscure. We found that mitochondrial (SIRT3mt) and cytoplasmic (SIRT3ct) Sirt3 mRNAs were expressed in the mouse brain and diffuse SIRT3 immunostaining in cytoplasm was detected in cultured neural cells and neural precursor cells where SIRT3 knockdown disturbed neural precursor cell differentiation. However, overexpression of SIRT3 in COS7 cells showed that expression levels of SIRT3ct was much lower than that of SIRT3mt. SIRT3ct but not SIRT3mt was promptly degraded by the ubiquitin-dependent degradation, in which SIRT3ct degradation was mediated mainly by the ubiquitination of NH2-terminal methionine and partly by that of lysine residues. SIRT3ct expression level was significantly enhanced by the treatment of cells with staurosporine or H2O2. H2O2 promoted nuclear translocation of SIRT3ct and induced histone H3 deacetylation and superoxide dismutase 2 expression. The overexpression of SIRT3ct decreased cell death by H2O2 at similar levels achieved by that of SIRT3mt. Knockdown of Sirt3 mRNA increased cell death by amyloid-b (Ab) and the overexpression of SIRT3ct opposed the toxic function of Ab in PC12 cells. These results indicated that SIRT3ct participated in cell survival under various stress conditions.

Nicotinamide, a vitamin B3 ameliorates depressive behaviors independent of SIRT1 activity in mice

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent protein deacetylase and a candidate gene for depression. Nicotinamide (NAM), a form of vitamin B3, is reported as a potential inhibitor of SIRT1. Our previous study found that the 24-h-restraint stress could induce long-term depressive-like phenotypes in mice. These mice displayed increased SIRT1 activity. Here, we studied whether NAM was capable of attenuating depressive behaviors through inhibiting SIRT1 activity. Surprisingly, the application of NAM significantly reversed the depressive behaviors but increased SIRT1 activity further. In contrast, the level of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was reduced in the restraint model for depression, and recovered by the administration of NAM. Furthermore, the Sirt1flox/flox; Nestin-Cre mice exhibited antidepressant behaviors and increased ATP levels. These data suggest that ATP plays an important role in depression pathogenesis, and NAM could be a potential treatment method for depression by regulating ATP independent of SIRT1 activity.

Pancreatic Sirtuin 3 deficiency promotes hepatic steatosis by enhancing 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis in diet-induced obese mice

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is a protein deacetylase regulating beta cell function through inhibiting oxidative stress in obese and diabetic mice, but the detailed mechanism and potential effect of beta cell specific SIRT3 on metabolic homeostasis, and its potential effect on other metabolic organs are unknown. We found glucose tolerance and glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) were impaired in high fat diet (HFD)-fed beta cell selective<i> Sirt3</i> knockout<i> </i>(<i>Sirt3</i>^f/f;Cre/+) mice. In addition, <i>Sirt3</i>^f/f;Cre/+ mice had more severe hepatic steatosis than <i>Sirt3</i>^f/f mice upon HFD feeding. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of islets suggested that <i>Sirt3</i> deficiency over-activated 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) synthesis as evidenced by up-regulation of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1). 5-HT concentration was increased in both islets and serum of <i>Sirt3</i>^f/f;Cre/+ mice. 5-HT also facilitated the effect of palmitate to increase lipid deposition. Treatment with TPH1 inhibitor ameliorated hepatic steatosis and reduced weight gain in HFD-fed <i>Sirt3</i>^f/f;Cre/+ mice. These data suggested that under HFD feeding, SIRT3 deficiency in beta cells not only regulates insulin secretion but also modulates hepatic lipid metabolism via the release of 5-HT.