Acetylation is one of the major post-translational protein modifications in the cell, with manifold effects on the protein level as well as on the metabolome level. The acetyl group, donated by the metabolite acetyl-coenzyme A, can be co- or post-translationally attached to either the α-amino group of the N-terminus of proteins or to the ε-amino group of lysine residues. These reactions are catalyzed by various N-terminal and lysine acetyltransferases. In case of lysine acetylation, the reaction is enzymatically reversible via tightly regulated and metabolism-dependent mechanisms. The interplay between acetylation and deacetylation is crucial for many important cellular processes. In recent years, our understanding of protein acetylation has increased significantly by global proteomics analyses and in depth functional studies. This review gives a general overview of protein acetylation and the respective acetyltransferases, and focuses on the regulation of metabolic processes and physiological consequences that come along with protein acetylation.
MDM2 plays a key role in modulating p53 function. The MDM2 SNP309T > G promoter polymorphism enhances Sp1 binding and has been linked to cancer risk and young age at diagnosis although with conflicting evidence. We report a second MDM2 promoter polymorphism, SNP285G > C, residing on the SNP309G allele. SNP285C occurs in Caucasians only, where 7.7% (95% CI 7.6%-7.8%) of healthy individuals carry the SNP285C/309G haplotype. In vitro analyses reveals that SNP309G enhances but SNP285C strongly reduces Sp1 promoter binding. Comparing MDM2 promoter status among different cohorts of ovarian (n = 1993) and breast (n = 1973) cancer patients versus healthy controls (n = 3646), SNP285C reduced the risk of both ovarian (OR 0.74; CI 0.58-0.94) and breast cancer (OR 0.79; CI 0.62-1.00) among SNP309G carriers.
N-terminal acetylation (NTA) catalysed by N-terminal acetyltransferases (Nats) is among the most common protein modifications in eukaryotes, but its significance is still enigmatic. Here we characterize the plant NatA complex and reveal evolutionary conservation of NatA biochemical properties in higher eukaryotes and uncover specific and essential functions of NatA for development, biosynthetic pathways and stress responses in plants. We show that NTA decreases significantly after drought stress, and NatA abundance is rapidly downregulated by the phytohormone abscisic acid. Accordingly, transgenic downregulation of NatA induces the drought stress response and results in strikingly drought resistant plants. Thus, we propose that NTA by the NatA complex acts as a cellular surveillance mechanism during stress and that imprinting of the proteome by NatA is an important switch for the control of metabolism, development and cellular stress responses downstream of abscisic acid.
The X-linked lethal Ogden syndrome was the first reported human genetic disorder associated with a mutation in an N-terminal acetyltransferase (NAT) gene. The affected males harbor an Ser37Pro (S37P) mutation in the gene encoding Naa10, the catalytic subunit of NatA, the major human NAT involved in the co-translational acetylation of proteins. Structural models and molecular dynamics simulations of the human NatA and its S37P mutant highlight differences in regions involved in catalysis and at the interface between Naa10 and the auxiliary subunit hNaa15. Biochemical data further demonstrate a reduced catalytic capacity and an impaired interaction between hNaa10 S37P and Naa15 as well as Naa50 (NatE), another interactor of the NatA complex. N-Terminal acetylome analyses revealed a decreased acetylation of a subset of NatA and NatE substrates in Ogden syndrome cells, supporting the genetic findings and our hypothesis regarding reduced Nt-acetylation of a subset of NatA/NatE-type substrates as one etiology for Ogden syndrome. Furthermore, Ogden syndrome fibroblasts display abnormal cell migration and proliferation capacity, possibly linked to a perturbed retinoblastoma pathway. N-Terminal acetylation clearly plays a role in Ogden syndrome, thus revealing the in vivo importance of N-terminal acetylation in human physiology and disease.
Recent studies revealed the power of whole-exome sequencing to identify mutations in sporadic cases with non-syndromic intellectual disability. We now identified de novo missense variants in NAA10 in two unrelated individuals, a boy and a girl, with severe global developmental delay but without any major dysmorphism by trio whole-exome sequencing. Both de novo variants were predicted to be deleterious, and we excluded other variants in this gene. This X-linked gene encodes N-alpha-acetyltransferase 10, the catalytic subunit of the NatA complex involved in multiple cellular processes. A single hypomorphic missense variant p.(Ser37Pro) was previously associated with Ogden syndrome in eight affected males from two different families. This rare disorder is characterized by a highly recognizable phenotype, global developmental delay and results in death during infancy. In an attempt to explain the discrepant phenotype, we used in vitro N-terminal acetylation assays which suggested that the severity of the phenotype correlates with the remaining catalytic activity. The variant in the Ogden syndrome patients exhibited a lower activity than the one seen in the boy with intellectual disability, while the variant in the girl was the most severe exhibiting only residual activity in the acetylation assays used. We propose that N-terminal acetyltransferase deficiency is clinically heterogeneous with the overall catalytic activity determining the phenotypic severity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.