Lysine succinylation is a frequently occurring modification in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and extensively overlaps with acetylation

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex-dependent succinylation of proteins in neurons and neuronal cell lines

Reversible post-translation modifications of proteins are common in all cells and appear to regulate many processes. Nevertheless, the enzyme(s) responsible for the alterations and the significance of the modification are largely unknown. Succinylation of proteins occurs and causes large changes in the structure of proteins; however, the source of the succinyl groups, the targets, and the consequences of these modifications on other proteins remain unknown. These studies focused on succinylation of mitochondrial proteins. The results demonstrate that the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC) can serve as a trans-succinylase that mediates succinylation in an α-ketoglutarate-dependent manner. Inhibition of KGDHC reduced succinylation of both cytosolic and mitochondrial proteins in cultured neurons and in a neuronal cell line. Purified KGDHC can succinylate multiple proteins including other enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle leading to modification of their activity. Inhibition of KGDHC also modifies acetylation by modifying the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. The much greater effectiveness of KGDHC than succinyl-CoA suggests that the catalysis owing to the E2k succinyltransferase is important. Succinylation appears to be a major signaling system and it can be mediated by KGDHC. Reversible post-translation modifications of proteins are common and may regulate many processes. Succinylation of proteins occurs and causes large changes in the structure of proteins. However, the source of the succinyl groups, the targets, and the consequences of these modifications on other proteins remains unknown. The results demonstrate that the mitochondrial α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC) can succinylate multiple mitochondrial proteins and alter their function. Succinylation appears to be a major signaling system and it can be mediated by KGDHC.

Accurate in silico identification of protein succinylation sites using an iterative semi-supervised learning technique

As a widespread type of protein post-translational modifications (PTMs), succinylation plays an important role in regulating protein conformation, function and physicochemical properties. Compared with the labor-intensive and time-consuming experimental approaches, computational predictions of succinylation sites are much desirable due to their convenient and fast speed. Currently, numerous computational models have been developed to identify PTMs sites through various types of two-class machine learning algorithms. These methods require both positive and negative samples for training. However, designation of the negative samples of PTMs was difficult and if it is not properly done can affect the performance of computational models dramatically. So that in this work, we implemented the first application of positive samples only learning (PSoL) algorithm to succinylation sites prediction problem, which was a special class of semi-supervised machine learning that used positive samples and unlabeled samples to train the model. Meanwhile, we proposed a novel succinylation sites computational predictor called SucPred (succinylation site predictor) by using multiple feature encoding schemes. Promising results were obtained by the SucPred predictor with an accuracy of 88.65% using 5-fold cross validation on the training dataset and an accuracy of 84.40% on the independent testing dataset, which demonstrated that the positive samples only learning algorithm presented here was particularly useful for identification of protein succinylation sites. Besides, the positive samples only learning algorithm can be applied to build predictors for other types of PTMs sites with ease. A web server for predicting succinylation sites was developed and was freely accessible at http://59.73.198.144:8088/SucPred/.

Protein neddylation: beyond cullin-RING ligases

NEDD8 (neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 8) is a ubiquitin-like protein that activates the largest ubiquitin E3 ligase family, the cullin-RING ligases. Many non-cullin neddylation targets have been proposed in recent years. However, overexpression of exogenous NEDD8 can trigger NEDD8 conjugation through the ubiquitylation machinery, which makes validating potential NEDD8 targets challenging. Here, we re-evaluate studies of non-cullin targets of NEDD8 in light of the current understanding of the neddylation pathway, and suggest criteria for identifying genuine neddylation substrates under homeostatic conditions. We describe the biological processes that might be regulated by non-cullin neddylation, and the utility of neddylation inhibitors for research and as potential therapies. Understanding the biological significance of non-cullin neddylation is an exciting research prospect primed to reveal fundamental insights.

Acetylation site specificities of lysine deacetylase inhibitors in human cells

Lysine deacetylases inhibitors (KDACIs) are used in basic research, and many are being investigated in clinical trials for treatment of cancer and other diseases. However, their specificities in cells are incompletely characterized. Here we used quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) to obtain acetylation signatures for 19 different KDACIs, covering all 18 human lysine deacetylases. Most KDACIs increased acetylation of a small, specific subset of the acetylome, including sites on histones and other chromatin-associated proteins. Inhibitor treatment combined with genetic deletion showed that the effects of the pan-sirtuin inhibitor nicotinamide are primarily mediated by SIRT1 inhibition. Furthermore, we confirmed that the effects of tubacin and bufexamac on cytoplasmic proteins result from inhibition of HDAC6. Bufexamac also triggered an HDAC6-independent, hypoxia-like response by stabilizing HIF1-α, providing a possible mechanistic explanation of its adverse, pro-inflammatory effects. Our results offer a systems view of KDACI specificities, providing a framework for studying function of acetylation and deacetylases.

Hydroxylated histidine of human ribosomal protein uL2 is involved in maintaining the local structure of 28S rRNA in the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center

Protein uL2 is essential for the catalytic activity of the ribosome and has a conserved shape in ribosomes from all domains of life. However, the sequence of its unstructured C-terminal loop apex that contacts the conserved 23S/28S rRNA helix (H) 93 near the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center differs in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. Eukaryote-specific residue His216 located in this loop in mammalian uL2 is hydroxylated in ribosomes. We used a set of chemical probes to explore the structure of an RNA that mimicked a segment of 28S rRNA domain V containing part of the uL2 binding site including H93, complexed with either natural (hydroxylated) or recombinant (unmodified) human uL2. It was found that both protein forms engage H93 during binding, but only natural uL2 (uL2n) protects it from hydroxyl radicals. The association of uL2n with RNA leads to changes in its structure at U4532 adjacent to the universally conserved U4531 (U2585, Escherichia coli numbering) involved in peptidyl transferase center formation, and at the universally conserved C4447 (2501) located in the ribosome near A4397 (2451) and C3909 (2063) belonging to the peptidyl transferase center. As a result, both nucleotides become strongly exposed to hydroxyl radicals. Our data argue that the hydroxyl group at His216 in the C-terminal loop apex of mammalian uL2 contributes to stabilization of a protein conformation that is favorable for binding to H93 of 28S rRNA and that this binding induces structural rearrangement in the regions close to the peptidyl transferase center in the mature ribosome.

Metabolic Regulation by Lysine Malonylation, Succinylation, and Glutarylation

Protein acetylation is a well-studied regulatory mechanism for several cellular processes, ranging from gene expression to metabolism. Recent discoveries of new post-translational modifications, including malonylation, succinylation, and glutarylation, have expanded our understanding of the types of modifications found on proteins. These three acidic lysine modifications are structurally similar but have the potential to regulate different proteins in different pathways. The deacylase sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) catalyzes the removal of these modifications from a wide range of proteins in different subcellular compartments. Here, we review these new modifications, their regulation by SIRT5, and their emerging role in cellular regulation and diseases.

Succinylome analysis reveals the involvement of lysine succinylation in metabolism in pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of human tuberculosis, remains one of the most prevalent human pathogens and a major cause of mortality worldwide. Metabolic network is a central mediator and defining feature of the pathogenicity of Mtb. Increasing evidence suggests that lysine succinylation dynamically regulates enzymes in carbon metabolism in both bacteria and human cells; however, its extent and function in Mtb remain unexplored. Here, we performed a global succinylome analysis of the virulent Mtb strain H37Rv by using high accuracy nano-LC-MS/MS in combination with the enrichment of succinylated peptides from digested cell lysates and subsequent peptide identification. In total, 1545 lysine succinylation sites on 626 proteins were identified in this pathogen. The identified succinylated proteins are involved in various biological processes and a large proportion of the succinylation sites are present on proteins in the central metabolism pathway. Site-specific mutations showed that succinylation is a negative regulatory modification on the enzymatic activity of acetyl-CoA synthetase. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that succinylation affects the conformational stability of acetyl-CoA synthetase, which is critical for its enzymatic activity. Further functional studies showed that CobB, a sirtuin-like deacetylase in Mtb, functions as a desuccinylase of acetyl-CoA synthetase in in vitro assays. Together, our findings reveal widespread roles for lysine succinylation in regulating metabolism and diverse processes in Mtb. Our data provide a rich resource for functional analyses of lysine succinylation and facilitate the dissection of metabolic networks in this life-threatening pathogen.

Post-translational modifications as key regulators of bacterial metabolic fluxes

In order to survive and compete in natural settings, bacteria must excel at quickly adapting their metabolism to fluctuations in nutrient availability and other environmental variables. This necessitates fast-acting post-translational regulatory mechanisms, that is, allostery or covalent modification, to control metabolic flux. While allosteric regulation has long been a well-established strategy for regulating metabolic enzyme activity in bacteria, covalent post-translational modes of regulation, such as phosphorylation or acetylation, have previously been regarded as regulatory mechanisms employed primarily by eukaryotic organisms. Recent findings, however, have shifted this perception and point to a widespread role for covalent posttranslational modification in the regulation of metabolic enzymes and fluxes in bacteria. This review provides an outline of the exciting recent advances in this area.

Defining the orphan functions of lysine acetyltransferases

Long known for their role in histone acetylation, recent studies have demonstrated that lysine acetyltransferases also carry out distinct “orphan” functions. These activities impact a wide range of biological phenomena including metabolism, RNA modification, nuclear morphology, and mitochondrial function. Here, we review the discovery and characterization of orphan lysine acetyltransferase functions. In addition to highlighting the evidence and biological role for these functions in human disease, we discuss the part emerging chemical tools may play in investigating this versatile enzyme superfamily.

Succinate Dehydrogenase Loss in Familial Paraganglioma: Biochemistry, Genetics, and Epigenetics

It is counterintuitive that metabolic defects reducing ATP production can cause, rather than protect from, cancer. Yet this is precisely the case for familial paraganglioma, a form of neuroendocrine malignancy caused by loss of succinate dehydrogenase in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Here we review biochemical, genetic, and epigenetic considerations in succinate dehydrogenase loss and present leading models and mysteries associated with this fascinating and important tumor.

Effect of lysine to alanine mutations on the phosphate activation and BPTES inhibition of glutaminase

The GLS1 gene encodes a mitochondrial glutaminase that is highly expressed in brain, kidney, small intestine and many transformed cells. Recent studies have identified multiple lysine residues in glutaminase that are sites of N-acetylation. Interestingly, these sites are located within either a loop segment that regulates access of glutamine to the active site or the dimer:dimer interface that participates in the phosphate-dependent oligomerization and activation of the enzyme. These two segments also contain the binding sites for bis-2[5-phenylacetamido-1,2,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]ethylsulfide (BPTES), a highly specific and potent uncompetitive inhibitor of this glutaminase. BPTES is also the lead compound for development of novel cancer chemotherapeutic agents. To provide a preliminary assessment of the potential effects of N-acetylation, the corresponding lysine to alanine mutations were constructed in the hGACΔ1 plasmid. The wild type and mutated proteins were purified by Ni(+)-affinity chromatography and their phosphate activation and BPTES inhibition profiles were analyzed. Two of the alanine substitutions in the loop segment (K311A and K328A) and the one in the dimer:dimer interface (K396A) form enzymes that require greater concentrations of phosphate to produce half-maximal activation and exhibit greater sensitivity to BPTES inhibition. By contrast, the K320A mutation results in a glutaminase that exhibits near maximal activity in the absence of phosphate and is not inhibited by BPTES. Thus, lysine N-acetylation may contribute to the acute regulation of glutaminase activity in various tissues and alter the efficacy of BPTES-type inhibitors.

Systematic analysis of the in situ crosstalk of tyrosine modifications reveals no additional natural selection on multiply modified residues

Recent studies have indicated that different post-translational modifications (PTMs) synergistically orchestrate specific biological processes by crosstalks. However, the preference of the crosstalk among different PTMs and the evolutionary constraint on the PTM crosstalk need further dissections. In this study, the in situ crosstalk at the same positions among three tyrosine PTMs including sulfation, nitration and phosphorylation were systematically analyzed. The experimentally identified sulfation, nitration and phosphorylation sites were collected and integrated with reliable predictions to perform large-scale analyses of in situ crosstalks. From the results, we observed that the in situ crosstalk between sulfation and nitration is significantly under-represented, whereas both sulfation and nitration prefer to co-occupy with phosphorylation at same tyrosines. Further analyses suggested that sulfation and nitration preferentially co-occur with phosphorylation at specific positions in proteins, and participate in distinct biological processes and functions. More interestingly, the long-term evolutionary analysis indicated that multi-PTM targeting tyrosines didn't show any higher conservation than singly modified ones. Also, the analysis of human genetic variations demonstrated that there is no additional functional constraint on inherited disease, cancer or rare mutations of multiply modified tyrosines. Taken together, our systematic analyses provided a better understanding of the in situ crosstalk among PTMs.

Alternate deacylating specificities of the archaeal sirtuins Sir2Af1 and Sir2Af2

Sirtuins were originally shown to regulate a wide array of biological processes such as transcription, genomic stability, and metabolism by catalyzing the NAD(+) -dependent deacetylation of lysine residues. Recent proteomic studies have revealed a much wider array of lysine acyl modifications in vivo than was previously known, which has prompted a reevaluation of sirtuin substrate specificity. Several sirtuins have now been shown to preferentially remove propionyl, succinyl, and long-chain fatty acyl groups from lysines, which has changed our understanding of sirtuin biology. In light of these developments, we revisited the acyl specificity of several well-studied archaeal and bacterial sirtuins. We find that the Archaeoglobus fulgidus sirtuins, Sir2Af1 and Sir2Af2, preferentially remove succinyl and myristoyl groups, respectively. Crystal structures of Sir2Af1 bound to a succinylated peptide and Sir2Af2 bound to a myristoylated peptide show how the active site of each enzyme accommodates a noncanonical acyl chain. As compared to its structure in complex with an acetylated peptide, Sir2Af2 undergoes a conformational change that expands the active site to accommodate the myristoyl group. These findings point to both structural and biochemical plasticity in sirtuin active sites and provide further evidence that sirtuins from all three domains of life catalyze noncanonical deacylation.

Protein acetylation affects acetate metabolism, motility and acid stress response in Escherichia coli

Although protein acetylation is widely observed, it has been associated with few specific regulatory functions making it poorly understood. To interrogate its functionality, we analyzed the acetylome in Escherichia coli knockout mutants of cobB, the only known sirtuin-like deacetylase, and patZ, the best-known protein acetyltransferase. For four growth conditions, more than 2,000 unique acetylated peptides, belonging to 809 proteins, were identified and differentially quantified. Nearly 65% of these proteins are related to metabolism. The global activity of CobB contributes to the deacetylation of a large number of substrates and has a major impact on physiology. Apart from the regulation of acetyl-CoA synthetase, we found that CobB-controlled acetylation of isocitrate lyase contributes to the fine-tuning of the glyoxylate shunt. Acetylation of the transcription factor RcsB prevents DNA binding, activating flagella biosynthesis and motility, and increases acid stress susceptibility. Surprisingly, deletion of patZ increased acetylation in acetate cultures, which suggests that it regulates the levels of acetylating agents. The results presented offer new insights into functional roles of protein acetylation in metabolic fitness and global cell regulation.

Systematic identification of the lysine succinylation in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Lysine succinylation is a new posttranslational modification identified in histone proteins of Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa. However, very little is known about their scope and cellular distribution. Here, using LC-MS/MS to identify parasite peptides enriched by immunopurification with succinyl lysine antibody, we produced the first lysine succinylome in this parasite. Overall, a total of 425 lysine succinylation sites that occurred on 147 succinylated proteins were identified in extracellular Toxoplasma tachyzoites, which is a proliferative stage that results in acute toxoplasmosis. With the bioinformatics analysis, it is shown that these succinylated proteins are evolutionarily conserved and involved in a wide variety of cellular functions such as metabolism and epigenetic gene regulation and exhibit diverse subcellular localizations. Moreover, we defined five types of definitively conserved succinylation site motifs, and the results imply that lysine residue of a polypeptide with lysine on the +3 position and without lysine at the -1 to +2 position is a preferred substrate of lysine succinyltransferase. In conclusion, our findings suggest that lysine succinylation in Toxoplasma involves a diverse array of cellular functions, although the succinylation occurs at a low level.

First succinyl-proteome profiling of extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealed involvement of succinylation in cellular physiology

Protein lysine succinylation, an emerging protein post-translational modification widespread among eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, represents an important regulator of cellular processes. However, the extent and function of lysine succinylation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, especially extensively drug-resistant strain, remain elusive. Combining protein/peptide prefractionation, immunoaffinity enrichment, and LC-MS/MS analysis, a total of 686 succinylated proteins and 1739 succinylation sites of M. tuberculosis were identified, representing the first global profiling of M. tuberculosis lysine succinylation. The identified succinylated proteins are involved in a variety of cellular functions such as metabolic processes, transcription, translation, and stress responses and exhibit different subcellular localization via GO, protein interaction network, and other bioinformatic analysis. Notably, proteins involved in protein biosynthesis and carbon metabolism are preferred targets of lysine succinylation. Moreover, two prevalent sequence patterns: EK(suc) and K*****K(suc), can be found around the succinylation sites. There are 109 lysine-succinylated homologues in E. coli, suggesting highly conserved succinylated proteins. Succinylation was found to occur at the active sites predicted by Prosite signature including Rv0946c, indicating that lysine succinylation may affect their activities. There is extensive overlapping between acetylation sites and succinylation sites in M. tuberculosis. Many M. tuberculosis metabolic enzymes and antibiotic resistance proteins were succinylated. This study provides a basis for further characterization of the pathophysiological role of lysine succinylation in M. tuberculosis.

Synthesis and succinylation of subtilin-like lantibiotics are strongly influenced by glucose and transition state regulator AbrB

Subtilin and the closely related entianin are class I lantibiotics produced by different subspecies of Bacillus subtilis. Both molecules are ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics with unusual ring structures. Subtilin-like lantibiotics develop strong antibiotic activities against various Gram-positive organisms with an efficiency similar to that of nisin from Lactococcus lactis. In contrast to nisin, subtilin-like lantibiotics partially undergo an additional posttranslational modification, where the N-terminal tryptophan residue becomes succinylated, resulting in drastically reduced antibiotic activities. A highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based quantification method enabled us to determine entianin and succinylated entianin (S-entianin) concentrations in the supernatant during growth. We show that entianin synthesis and the degree of succinylation drastically change with culture conditions. In particular, increasing glucose concentrations resulted in higher entianin amounts and lower proportions of S-entianin in Landy-based media. In contrast, no succinylation was observed in medium A with 10% glucose. Interestingly, glucose retarded the expression of entianin biosynthesis genes. Furthermore, deletion of the transition state regulator AbrB resulted in a 6-fold increased entianin production in medium A with 10% glucose. This shows that entianin biosynthesis in B. subtilis is strongly influenced by glucose, in addition to its regulation by the transition state regulator AbrB. Our results suggest that the mechanism underlying the succinylation of subtilin-like lantibiotics is enzymatically catalyzed and occurs in the extracellular space or at the cellular membrane.

β-hydroxybutyrate: much more than a metabolite

The ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB) is a convenient carrier of energy from adipocytes to peripheral tissues during fasting or exercise. However, βOHB is more than just a metabolite, having important cellular signaling roles as well. βOHB is an endogenous inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and a ligand for at least two cell surface receptors. In addition, the downstream products of βOHB metabolism including acetyl-CoA, succinyl-CoA, and NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) themselves have signaling activities. These regulatory functions of βOHB serve to link the outside environment to cellular function and gene expression, and have important implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes.

Top-down analytical platforms for the characterization of the human salivary proteome

Comprehensive analysis and characterization of the human salivary proteome is an important step towards the possible use of saliva for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. The contribution of the different sources to whole saliva, and the evaluation of individual variability and physiological modifications have been investigated by top-down proteomic approaches, disclosing the faceted and complex profile of the human salivary proteome. All this information is essential to develop saliva protein biomarkers. In this Review the major results obtained in the field by top-down platforms, and the improvements required to allow a more complete picture, will be discussed.

The growing landscape of lysine acetylation links metabolism and cell signalling

Lysine acetylation is a conserved protein post-translational modification that links acetyl-coenzyme A metabolism and cellular signalling. Recent advances in the identification and quantification of lysine acetylation by mass spectrometry have increased our understanding of lysine acetylation, implicating it in many biological processes through the regulation of protein interactions, activity and localization. In addition, proteins are frequently modified by other types of acylations, such as formylation, butyrylation, propionylation, succinylation, malonylation, myristoylation, glutarylation and crotonylation. The intricate link between lysine acylation and cellular metabolism has been clarified by the occurrence of several such metabolite-sensitive acylations and their selective removal by sirtuin deacylases. These emerging findings point to new functions for different lysine acylations and deacylating enzymes and also highlight the mechanisms by which acetylation regulates various cellular processes.

Metabolism leaves its mark on the powerhouse: recent progress in post-translational modifications of lysine in mitochondria

Lysine modifications have been studied extensively in the nucleus, where they play pivotal roles in gene regulation and constitute one of the pillars of epigenetics. In the cytoplasm, they are critical to proteostasis. However, in the last decade we have also witnessed the emergence of mitochondria as a prime locus for post-translational modification (PTM) of lysine thanks, in large measure, to evolving proteomic techniques. Here, we review recent work on evolving set of PTM that arise from the direct reaction of lysine residues with energized metabolic thioester-coenzyme A intermediates, including acetylation, succinylation, malonylation, and glutarylation. We highlight the evolutionary conservation, kinetics, stoichiometry, and cross-talk between members of this emerging family of PTMs. We examine the impact on target protein function and regulation by mitochondrial sirtuins. Finally, we spotlight work in the heart and cardiac mitochondria, and consider the roles acetylation and other newly-found modifications may play in heart disease.

Aberrant protein acylation is a common observation in inborn errors of acyl-CoA metabolism

Inherited disorders of acyl-CoA metabolism, such as defects in amino acid metabolism and fatty acid oxidation can present with severe clinical symptoms either neonatally or later in life, but the pathophysiological mechanisms are often incompletely understood. We now report the discovery of a novel biochemical mechanism that could contribute to the pathophysiology of these disorders. We identified increased protein lysine butyrylation in short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) deficient mice as a result of the accumulation of butyryl-CoA. Similarly, in SCAD deficient fibroblasts, lysine butyrylation was increased. Furthermore, malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MCD) deficient patient cells had increased levels of malonylated lysines and propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC) deficient patient cells had increased propionylation of lysines. Since lysine acylation can greatly impact protein function, aberrant lysine acylation in inherited disorders associated with acyl-CoA accumulation may well play a role in their disease pathophysiology.

Dichloroacetate and cancer: new home for an orphan drug?

We reviewed the anti-cancer effects of DCA, an orphan drug long used as an investigational treatment for various acquired and congenital disorders of mitochondrial intermediary metabolism. Inhibition by DCA of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases and subsequent reactivation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and oxidative phosphorylation is the common mechanism accounting for the drug's anti-neoplastic effects. At least two fundamental changes in tumor metabolism are induced by DCA that antagonize tumor growth, metastases and survival: the first is the redirection of glucose metabolism from glycolysis to oxidation (reversal of the Warburg effect), leading to inhibition of proliferation and induction of caspase-mediated apoptosis. These effects have been replicated in both human cancer cell lines and in tumor implants of diverse germ line origin. The second fundamental change is the oxidative removal of lactate, via pyruvate, and the co-incident buffering of hydrogen ions by dehydrogenases located in the mitochondrial matrix. Preclinical studies demonstrate that DCA has additive or synergistic effects when used in combination with standard agents designed to modify tumor oxidative stress, vascular remodeling, DNA integrity or immunity. These findings and limited clinical results suggest that potentially fruitful areas for additional clinical trials include 1) adult and pediatric high grade astrocytomas; 2) BRAF-mutant cancers, such as melanoma, perhaps combined with other pro-oxidants; 3) tumors in which resistance to standard platinum-class drugs alone may be overcome with combination therapy; and 4) tumors of endodermal origin, in which extensive experimental research has demonstrated significant anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic effects of DCA, leading to improved host survival.

Cardiomyocyte-specific deficiency of ketone body metabolism promotes accelerated pathological remodeling

OBJECTIVE

Exploitation of protective metabolic pathways within injured myocardium still remains an unclarified therapeutic target in heart disease. Moreover, while the roles of altered fatty acid and glucose metabolism in the failing heart have been explored, the influence of highly dynamic and nutritionally modifiable ketone body metabolism in the regulation of myocardial substrate utilization, mitochondrial bioenergetics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and hemodynamic response to injury remains undefined.

METHODS

Here we use mice that lack the enzyme required for terminal oxidation of ketone bodies, succinyl-CoA:3-oxoacid CoA transferase (SCOT) to determine the role of ketone body oxidation in the myocardial injury response. Tracer delivery in ex vivo perfused hearts coupled to NMR spectroscopy, in vivo high-resolution echocardiographic quantification of cardiac hemodynamics in nutritionally and surgically modified mice, and cellular and molecular measurements of energetic and oxidative stress responses are performed.

RESULTS

While germline SCOT-knockout (KO) mice die in the early postnatal period, adult mice with cardiomyocyte-specific loss of SCOT (SCOT-Heart-KO) remarkably exhibit no overt metabolic abnormalities, and no differences in left ventricular mass or impairments of systolic function during periods of ketosis, including fasting and adherence to a ketogenic diet. Myocardial fatty acid oxidation is increased when ketones are delivered but cannot be oxidized. To determine the role of ketone body oxidation in the remodeling ventricle, we induced pressure overload injury by performing transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery in SCOT-Heart-KO and αMHC-Cre control mice. While TAC increased left ventricular mass equally in both groups, at four weeks post-TAC, myocardial ROS abundance was increased in myocardium of SCOT-Heart-KO mice, and mitochondria and myofilaments were ultrastructurally disordered. Eight weeks post-TAC, left ventricular volume was markedly increased and ejection fraction was decreased in SCOT-Heart-KO mice, while these parameters remained normal in hearts of control animals.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies demonstrate the ability of myocardial ketone metabolism to coordinate the myocardial response to pressure overload, and suggest that the oxidation of ketone bodies may be an important contributor to free radical homeostasis and hemodynamic preservation in the injured heart.

Chemical probing of the human sirtuin 5 active site reveals its substrate acyl specificity and peptide-based inhibitors

Sirtuins are NAD(+)-dependent deacetylases acting as sensors in metabolic pathways and stress response. In mammals there are seven isoforms. The mitochondrial sirtuin 5 is a weak deacetylase but a very efficient demalonylase and desuccinylase; however, its substrate acyl specificity has not been systematically analyzed. Herein, we investigated a carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 derived peptide substrate and modified the lysine side chain systematically to determine the acyl specificity of Sirt5. From that point we designed six potent peptide-based inhibitors that interact with the NAD(+) binding pocket. To characterize the interaction details causing the different substrate and inhibition properties we report several X-ray crystal structures of Sirt5 complexed with these peptides. Our results reveal the Sirt5 acyl selectivity and its molecular basis and enable the design of inhibitors for Sirt5.

Quantitative proteomic analysis reveals posttranslational responses to aneuploidy in yeast

Aneuploidy causes severe developmental defects and is a near universal feature of tumor cells. Despite its profound effects, the cellular processes affected by aneuploidy are not well characterized. Here, we examined the consequences of aneuploidy on the proteome of aneuploid budding yeast strains. We show that although protein levels largely scale with gene copy number, subunits of multi-protein complexes are notable exceptions. Posttranslational mechanisms attenuate their expression when their encoding genes are in excess. Our proteomic analyses further revealed a novel aneuploidy-associated protein expression signature characteristic of altered metabolism and redox homeostasis. Indeed aneuploid cells harbor increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interestingly, increased protein turnover attenuates ROS levels and this novel aneuploidy-associated signature and improves the fitness of most aneuploid strains. Our results show that aneuploidy causes alterations in metabolism and redox homeostasis. Cells respond to these alterations through both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03023.001

Nearly all tumor cells contain abnormal number of chromosomes. This state is called aneuploidy, and can also cause embryos to be miscarried, or to be born with severe developmental disorders.

Proteins are produced from the genes contained within chromosomes, and so cells with too many chromosomes produce too many of some proteins. How do these cells cope with this excess? Previous work identified one strategy where a gene called UBP6 is mutated to prevent it from working correctly. The UBP6 gene normally encodes a protein that removes a small tag (called ubiquitin) from other proteins. This tag normally marks other proteins that should be degraded; thus, if UBP6 is not working, more proteins are broken down.

Dephoure et al. investigated the effect of aneuploidy on the proteins produced by 12 different types of yeast cell, which each had an extra chromosome. In general, the amount of each protein produced by these yeast increased depending on the number of extra copies of the matching genes found on the extra chromosome. However, this was not the case for around 20% of the proteins, which were found in lower amounts than expected. Dephoure et al. revealed that this was not because fewer proteins were made, but because more were broken down. These proteins may be targeted for degradation because they are unstable, as many of these proteins need to bind to other proteins to keep them stable—but these stabilizing proteins are not also over-produced.

Aneuploidy in cells also has other effects, including changing the cells' metabolism so that the cells grow more slowly and do not respond as well to stress. However, Dephoure et al. found that, as well as reducing the number of proteins produced, deleting the UBP6 gene also increased the fitness of the cells. Targeting the protein encoded by the UBP6 gene, or others that also stop proteins being broken down, could therefore help to reduce the negative effects of aneuploidy for a cell. Whether targeting these genes or proteins could also help to treat the diseases and disorders that result from aneuploidy, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, remains to be investigated.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03023.002

SIRT5 is under the control of PGC-1α and AMPK and is involved in regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism

The sirtuins (SIRTs; SIRT1-7) are a family of NAD(+)-dependent enzymes that dynamically regulate cellular physiology. Apart from SIRT1, the functions and regulatory mechanisms of the SIRTs are poorly defined. We explored regulation of the SIRT family by 2 energy metabolism-controlling factors: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Overexpression of PGC-1α in mouse primary hepatocytes increased SIRT5 mRNA expression 4-fold and also the protein in a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)- and estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα)-dependent manner. Furthermore, food withdrawal increased SIRT5 mRNA 1.3-fold in rat liver. Overexpression of AMPK in mouse hepatocytes increased expression of SIRT1, SIRT2, SIRT3, and SIRT6 <2-fold. In contrast, SIRT5 mRNA was down-regulated by 58%. The antidiabetes drug metformin (1 mM), an established AMPK activator, reduced the mouse SIRT5 protein level by 44% in cultured hepatocytes and by 31% in liver in vivo (300 mg/kg, 7 d). Metformin also induced hypersuccinylation of mitochondrial proteins. Moreover, SIRT5 overexpression increased ATP synthesis and oxygen consumption in HepG2 cells, but did not affect mitochondrial biogenesis. In summary, our results identified SIRT5 as a novel factor that controls mitochondrial function. Moreover, SIRT5 levels are regulated by PGC-1α and AMPK, which have opposite effects on its expression.-Buler, M., Aatsinki, S.-M., Izzi, V., Uusimaa, J., Hakkola, J. SIRT5 is under the control of PGC-1α and AMPK and is involved in regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism.

Oxidative stress activates SIRT2 to deacetylate and stimulate phosphoglycerate mutase

Glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase (PGAM) plays an important role in coordinating energy production with generation of reducing power and the biosynthesis of nucleotide precursors and amino acids. Inhibition of PGAM by small RNAi or small molecule attenuates cell proliferation and tumor growth. PGAM activity is commonly upregulated in tumor cells, but how PGAM activity is regulated in vivo remains poorly understood. Here we report that PGAM is acetylated at lysine 100 (K100), an active site residue that is invariably conserved from bacteria, to yeast, plant, and mammals. K100 acetylation is detected in fly, mouse, and human cells and in multiple tissues and decreases PGAM2 activity. The cytosolic protein deacetylase sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) deacetylates and activates PGAM2. Increased levels of reactive oxygen species stimulate PGAM2 deacetylation and activity by promoting its interaction with SIRT2. Substitution of endogenous PGAM2 with an acetylation mimetic mutant K100Q reduces cellular NADPH production and inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth. These results reveal a mechanism of PGAM2 regulation and NADPH homeostasis in response to oxidative stress that impacts cell proliferation and tumor growth.

Convergence of ubiquitylation and phosphorylation signaling in rapamycin-treated yeast cells

The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase senses the availability of nutrients and coordinates cellular growth and proliferation with nutrient abundance. Inhibition of TOR mimics nutrient starvation and leads to the reorganization of many cellular processes, including autophagy, protein translation, and vesicle trafficking. TOR regulates cellular physiology by modulating phosphorylation and ubiquitylation signaling networks; however, the global scope of such regulation is not fully known. Here, we used a mass-spectrometry-based proteomics approach for the parallel quantification of ubiquitylation, phosphorylation, and proteome changes in rapamycin-treated yeast cells. Our data constitute a detailed proteomic analysis of rapamycin-treated yeast with 3590 proteins, 8961 phosphorylation sites, and 2299 di-Gly modified lysines (putative ubiquitylation sites) quantified. The phosphoproteome was extensively modulated by rapamycin treatment, with more than 900 up-regulated sites one hour after rapamycin treatment. Dynamically regulated phosphoproteins were involved in diverse cellular processes, prominently including transcription, membrane organization, vesicle-mediated transport, and autophagy. Several hundred ubiquitylation sites were increased after rapamycin treatment, and about half as many decreased in abundance. We found that proteome, phosphorylation, and ubiquitylation changes converged on the Rsp5-ubiquitin ligase, Rsp5 adaptor proteins, and Rsp5 targets. Putative Rsp5 targets were biased for increased ubiquitylation, suggesting activation of Rsp5 by rapamycin. Rsp5 adaptor proteins, which recruit target proteins for Rsp5-dependent ubiquitylation, were biased for increased phosphorylation. Furthermore, we found that permeases and transporters, which are often ubiquitylated by Rsp5, were biased for reduced ubiquitylation and reduced protein abundance. The convergence of multiple proteome-level changes on the Rsp5 system indicates a key role of this pathway in the response to rapamycin treatment. Collectively, these data reveal new insights into the global proteome dynamics in response to rapamycin treatment and provide a first detailed view of the co-regulation of phosphorylation- and ubiquitylation-dependent signaling networks by this compound.

PRIME-XS, a European infrastructure for proteomics

The PRIME-XS consortium is a pan-European infrastructure for proteomics. As a prologue to this special issue of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics on the research activities of the PRIME-XS consortium, we, as the guest editors of this issue, provide an overview of the structure and activities of this consortium, which is funded by the European Union's 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.

Lysine propionylation is a prevalent post-translational modification in Thermus thermophilus

Recent studies of protein post-translational modifications revealed that various types of lysine acylation occur in eukaryotic and bacterial proteins. Lysine propionylation, a newly discovered type of acylation, occurs in several proteins, including some histones. In this study, we identified 361 propionylation sites in 183 mid-exponential phase and late stationary phase proteins from Thermus thermophilus HB8, an extremely thermophilic eubacterium. Functional classification of the propionylproteins revealed that the number of propionylation sites in metabolic enzymes increased in late stationary phase, irrespective of protein abundance. The propionylation sites on proteins expressed in mid-exponential and late stationary phases partially overlapped. Furthermore, amino acid frequencies in the vicinity of propionylation sites differed, not only between the two growth phases but also relative to acetylation sites. In addition, 33.8% of mid-exponential phase-specific and 80.0% of late stationary phase-specific propionylations (n ≥ 2) implied that specific mechanisms regulate propionylation in the cell. Moreover, the limited degree of overlap between lysine propionylation (36.8%) and acetylation (49.2%) sites in 67 proteins that were both acetylated and propionylated strongly suggested that the two acylation reactions are regulated separately by specific enzymes and may serve different functions. Finally, we also found that eight propionylation sites overlapped with acetylation sites critical for protein functions such as Schiff-base formation and ligand binding.

Nonenzymatic protein acylation as a carbon stress regulated by sirtuin deacylases

Cellular proteins are decorated with a wide range of acetyl and other acyl modifications. Many studies have demonstrated regulation of site-specific acetylation by acetyltransferases and deacetylases. Acylation is emerging as a new type of lysine modification, but less is known about its overall regulatory role. Furthermore, the mechanisms of lysine acylation, its overlap with protein acetylation, and how it influences cellular function are major unanswered questions in the field. In this review, we discuss the known roles of acetyltransferases and deacetylases and the sirtuins as a conserved family of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺)-dependent protein deacylases that are important for response to cellular stress and homeostasis. We also consider the evidence for an emerging idea of nonenzymatic protein acylation. Finally, we put forward the hypothesis that protein acylation is a form of protein "carbon stress" that the deacylases evolved to remove as a part of a global protein quality-control network.

The functional diversity of protein lysine methylation

Large‐scale characterization of post‐translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination, has highlighted their importance in the regulation of a myriad of signaling events. While high‐throughput technologies have tremendously helped cataloguing the proteins modified by these PTMs, the identification of lysine‐methylated proteins, a PTM involving the transfer of one, two or three methyl groups to the ε‐amine of a lysine side chain, has lagged behind. While the initial findings were focused on the methylation of histone proteins, several studies have recently identified novel non‐histone lysine‐methylated proteins. This review provides a compilation of all lysine methylation sites reported to date. We also present key examples showing the impact of lysine methylation and discuss the circuitries wired by this important PTM.

Lysine glutarylation is a protein posttranslational modification regulated by SIRT5

We report the identification and characterization of a five-carbon protein posttranslational modification (PTM) called lysine glutarylation (Kglu). This protein modification was detected by immunoblot and mass spectrometry (MS), and then comprehensively validated by chemical and biochemical methods. We demonstrated that the previously annotated deacetylase, sirtuin 5 (SIRT5), is a lysine deglutarylase. Proteome-wide analysis identified 683 Kglu sites in 191 proteins and showed that Kglu is highly enriched on metabolic enzymes and mitochondrial proteins. We validated carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1), the rate-limiting enzyme in urea cycle, as a glutarylated protein and demonstrated that CPS1 is targeted by SIRT5 for deglutarylation. We further showed that glutarylation suppresses CPS1 enzymatic activity in cell lines, mice, and a model of glutaric acidemia type I disease, the last of which has elevated glutaric acid and glutaryl-CoA. This study expands the landscape of lysine acyl modifications and increases our understanding of the deacylase SIRT5.

Unsuspected task for an old team: succinate, fumarate and other Krebs cycle acids in metabolic remodeling

Seventy years from the formalization of the Krebs cycle as the central metabolic turntable sustaining the cell respiratory process, key functions of several of its intermediates, especially succinate and fumarate, have been recently uncovered. The presumably immutable organization of the cycle has been challenged by a number of observations, and the variable subcellular location of a number of its constitutive protein components is now well recognized, although yet unexplained. Nonetheless, the most striking observations have been made in the recent period while investigating human diseases, especially a set of specific cancers, revealing the crucial role of Krebs cycle intermediates as factors affecting genes methylation and thus cell remodeling. We review here the recent advances and persisting incognita about the role of Krebs cycle acids in diverse aspects of cellular life and human pathology.

Acetylation dynamics and stoichiometry in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Lysine acetylation is a frequently occurring posttranslational modification; however, little is known about the origin and regulation of most sites. Here we used quantitative mass spectrometry to analyze acetylation dynamics and stoichiometry in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that acetylation accumulated in growth‐arrested cells in a manner that depended on acetyl‐CoA generation in distinct subcellular compartments. Mitochondrial acetylation levels correlated with acetyl‐CoA concentration in vivo and acetyl‐CoA acetylated lysine residues nonenzymatically in vitro. We developed a method to estimate acetylation stoichiometry and found that the vast majority of mitochondrial and cytoplasmic acetylation had a very low stoichiometry. However, mitochondrial acetylation occurred at a significantly higher basal level than cytoplasmic acetylation, consistent with the distinct acetylation dynamics and higher acetyl‐CoA concentration in mitochondria. High stoichiometry acetylation occurred mostly on histones, proteins present in histone acetyltransferase and deacetylase complexes, and on transcription factors. These data show that a majority of acetylation occurs at very low levels in exponentially growing yeast and is uniformly affected by exposure to acetyl‐CoA.

A succinyl lysine-based photo-cross-linking peptide probe for Sirtuin 5

A succinylation-specific photo-cross-linking peptide probe has been developed for the NAD⁺-dependent hydrolase Sirtuin 5.

An update on lysine deacylases targeting the expanding "acylome"

Lysine ε-amino acetylation has long been recognized as an epigenetically relevant post-translational modification of multiple residues in histone proteins. However, it has become clear that lysine acetylation is not restricted to histones, and therefore, it may be involved in the regulation of a wide variety of proteins, some of which have been identified and studied in detail. More recently, post-translational modifications of lysine side chains by additional acyl groups have also been identified, and some of these appear to be regulated by histone deacetylases (HDACs) and/or sirtuins. In this Concept, new developments are discussed with emphasis on the enzymes that have been shown to catalyze the cleavage of these novel marks, including new assays and inhibitors. Ultimately, a deeper understand of these mechanisms should facilitate the development of ligands with therapeutic potential.

CPLM: a database of protein lysine modifications

We reported an integrated database of Compendium of Protein Lysine Modifications (CPLM; http://cplm.biocuckoo.org) for protein lysine modifications (PLMs), which occur at active ε-amino groups of specific lysine residues in proteins and are critical for orchestrating various biological processes. The CPLM database was updated from our previously developed database of Compendium of Protein Lysine Acetylation (CPLA), which contained 7151 lysine acetylation sites in 3311 proteins. Here, we manually collected experimentally identified substrates and sites for 12 types of PLMs, including acetylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, methylation, butyrylation, crotonylation, glycation, malonylation, phosphoglycerylation, propionylation, succinylation and pupylation. In total, the CPLM database contained 203,972 modification events on 189,919 modified lysines in 45,748 proteins for 122 species. With the dataset, we totally identified 76 types of co-occurrences of various PLMs on the same lysine residues, and the most abundant PLM crosstalk is between acetylation and ubiquitination. Up to 53.5% of acetylation and 33.1% of ubiquitination events co-occur at 10 746 lysine sites. Thus, the various PLM crosstalks suggested that a considerable proportion of lysines were competitively and dynamically regulated in a complicated manner. Taken together, the CPLM database can serve as a useful resource for further research of PLMs.

Identification of lysine succinylation substrates and the succinylation regulatory enzyme CobB in Escherichia coli

Lysine succinylation is a newly identified protein post-translational modification pathway present in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. However, succinylation substrates and regulatory enzyme(s) remain largely unknown, hindering the biological study of this modification. Here we report the identification of 2,580 bacterial lysine succinylation sites in 670 proteins and 2,803 lysine acetylation (Kac) sites in 782 proteins, representing the first lysine succinylation dataset and the largest Kac dataset in wild-type E. coli. We quantified dynamic changes of the lysine succinylation and Kac substrates in response to high glucose. Our data showed that high-glucose conditions led to more lysine-succinylated proteins and enhanced the abundance of succinyllysine peptides more significantly than Kac peptides, suggesting that glucose has a more profound effect on succinylation than on acetylation. We further identified CobB, a known Sir2-like bacterial lysine deacetylase, as the first prokaryotic desuccinylation enzyme. The identification of bacterial CobB as a bifunctional enzyme with lysine desuccinylation and deacetylation activities suggests that the eukaryotic Kac-regulatory enzymes may have enzymatic activities on various lysine acylations with very different structures. In addition, it is highly likely that lysine succinylation could have unique and more profound regulatory roles in cellular metabolism relative to lysine acetylation under some physiological conditions.