1
|
Guan SP, Kumar SN, Fann DY, Kennedy BK. A mechanistic perspective on the health promoting effects of alcohol - A focus on epigenetics modification. Alcohol 2023; 107:91-96. [PMID: 35987314 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
While the detrimental effects of binge drinking are well recognized, low-to-moderate alcohol consumption may be beneficial to health, although the underlying mechanism(s) remains elusive. In this opinion article, we will examine the effects of low dose alcohol consumption from the perspective of epigenetic modulation. Biochemically, alcohol is metabolized into acetate and subsequently to acetyl-coA, which can modulate histone acetylation levels. While elevated levels of acetyl-CoA are detrimental for longevity, we argue that diminished acetyl-CoA also negatively affects fatty acid biosynthesis and histone acetylation, which play a critical role in gene expression and, ultimately, health span. Since mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism, which provide the main source of nucleocytoplasmic acetyl-CoA, are compromised with age, alcohol-derived acetate could be an alternative source of acetyl-CoA to compensate. Hence, the health benefits of low ethanol consumption may be more pronounced after midlife, since mitochondrial function and/or glucose metabolism are diminished in this phase of the life course. Indeed, various clinical alcohol consumption studies concur with this notion, and have shown that a low dose of regular alcohol intake after midlife brings about various health and survival benefits. The requirement for regular alcohol intake may also reflect the transient nature of ethanol-induced histone acetylation. Conversely, ethanol may also stimulate carcinogenesis by inhibiting DNA methylation, as it was shown to reduce various pathways leading to DNA and histone methylation. However, unlike acetylation, where ethanol directly increases the substrate for acetylation, this effect was only observed in the high alcohol exposure cohort. While alcohol-derived acetate may be beneficial for health after midlife, various detrimental effects of alcohol consumption remain, and hence, we do not advocate excessive drinking to increase acetate. This opinion article establishes a possible role of ethanol-derived acetate in achieving homeostasis and sustaining an organism's health span.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shou Ping Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Shermila N Kumar
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - David Y Fann
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Brian K Kennedy
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, Singapore; Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Moffett JR, Puthillathu N, Vengilote R, Jaworski DM, Namboodiri AM. Acetate Revisited: A Key Biomolecule at the Nexus of Metabolism, Epigenetics, and Oncogenesis - Part 2: Acetate and ACSS2 in Health and Disease. Front Physiol 2020; 11:580171. [PMID: 33304273 PMCID: PMC7693462 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.580171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetate, the shortest chain fatty acid, has been implicated in providing health benefits whether it is derived from the diet or is generated from microbial fermentation of fiber in the gut. These health benefits range widely from improved cardiac function to enhanced red blood cell generation and memory formation. Understanding how acetate could influence so many disparate biological functions is now an area of intensive research. Protein acetylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications and increased systemic acetate strongly drives protein acetylation. By virtue of acetylation impacting the activity of virtually every class of protein, acetate driven alterations in signaling and gene transcription have been associated with several common human diseases, including cancer. In part 2 of this review, we will focus on some of the roles that acetate plays in health and human disease. The acetate-activating enzyme acyl-CoA short-chain synthetase family member 2 (ACSS2) will be a major part of that focus due to its role in targeted protein acetylation reactions that can regulate central metabolism and stress responses. ACSS2 is the only known enzyme that can recycle acetate derived from deacetylation reactions in the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells, including both protein and metabolite deacetylation reactions. As such, ACSS2 can recycle acetate derived from histone deacetylase reactions as well as protein deacetylation reactions mediated by sirtuins, among many others. Notably, ACSS2 can activate acetate released from acetylated metabolites including N-acetylaspartate (NAA), the most concentrated acetylated metabolite in the human brain. NAA has been associated with the metabolic reprograming of cancer cells, where ACSS2 also plays a role. Here, we discuss the context-specific roles that acetate can play in health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John R. Moffett
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, and Neuroscience Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Narayanan Puthillathu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, and Neuroscience Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ranjini Vengilote
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, and Neuroscience Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Diane M. Jaworski
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Aryan M. Namboodiri
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, and Neuroscience Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|