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Sirtuins are protein deacetylases regulating metabolism and stress responses. The seven human Sirtuins (Sirt1-7) are attractive drug targets, but Sirtuin inhibition mechanisms are mostly unidentified. We report the molecular mechanism of Sirtuin inhibition by 6-chloro-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole-1-carboxamide (Ex-527). Inhibitor binding to potently inhibited Sirt1 and Thermotoga maritima Sir2 and to moderately inhibited Sirt3 requires NAD + , alone or together with acetylpeptide. Crystal structures of several Sirtuin inhibitor complexes show that Ex-527 occupies the nicotinamide site and a neighboring pocket and contacts the ribose of NAD + or of the coproduct 2'-O-acetyl-ADP ribose. Complex structures with native alkylimidate and thio-analog support its catalytic relevance and show, together with biochemical assays, that only the coproduct complex is relevant for inhibition by Ex-527, which stabilizes the closed enzyme conformation preventing product release. Ex-527 inhibition thus exploits Sirtuin catalysis, and kinetic isoform differences explain its selectivity. Our results provide insights in Sirtuin catalysis and inhibition with important implications for drug development.

Sirtuins are protein deacetylases regulating metabolism, stress responses, and aging processes, and they were suggested to mediate the lifespan extending effect of a low calorie diet. Sirtuin activation by the polyphenol resveratrol can mimic such lifespan extending effects and alleviate metabolic diseases. The mechanism of Sirtuin stimulation is unknown, hindering the development of improved activators. Here we show that resveratrol inhibits human Sirt3 and stimulates Sirt5, in addition to Sirt1, against fluorophore-labeled peptide substrates but also against peptides and proteins lacking the non-physiological fluorophore modification. We further present crystal structures of Sirt3 and Sirt5 in complex with fluorogenic substrate peptide and modulator. The compound acts as a top cover, closing the Sirtuin’s polypeptide binding pocket and influencing details of peptide binding by directly interacting with this substrate. Our results provide a mechanism for the direct activation of Sirtuins by small molecules and suggest that activators have to be tailored to a specific Sirtuin/substrate pair.

No abstract

Sirtuin enzymes regulate metabolism and aging processes through deacetylation of acetyllysines in target proteins. More than 6,800 mammalian acetylation sites are known, but few targets have been assigned to most sirtuin isoforms, hampering our understanding of sirtuin function. Here we describe a peptide microarray system displaying 6,802 human acetylation sites for the parallel characterisation of their modification by deacetylases. Deacetylation data for all seven human sirtuins obtained with this system reveal isoform-specific substrate preferences and deacetylation substrate candidates for all sirtuin isoforms, including Sirt4. We confirm malate dehydrogenase protein as a Sirt3 substrate and show that peroxiredoxin 1 and high-mobility group B1 protein are deacetylated by Sirt5 and Sirt1, respectively, at the identified sites, rendering them likely new in vivo substrates. Our microarray platform enables parallel studies on physiological acetylation sites and the deacetylation data presented provide an exciting resource for the identification of novel substrates for all human sirtuins.

Mitochondria are central organelles in cellular energy metabolism, apoptosis, and aging processes. A signaling network regulating these functions was recently shown to include soluble adenylyl cyclase as a local source of the second messenger cAMP in the mitochondrial matrix. However, a mitochondrial cAMPdegrading phosphodiesterase (PDE) necessary for switching off this cAMP signal has not yet been identified. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a PDE2A isoform in mitochondria from rodent liver and brain. We find that mitochondrial PDE2A is located in the matrix and that the unique N terminus of PDE2A isoform 2 specifically leads to mitochondrial localization of this isoform. Functional assays show that mitochondrial PDE2A forms a local signaling system with soluble adenylyl cyclase in the matrix, which regulates the activity of the respiratory chain. Our findings complete a cAMP signaling cascade in mitochondria and have implications for understanding the regulation of mitochondrial processes and for their pharmacological modulation.Mitochondria play central roles in cellular energy metabolism, as well as in the regulation of cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and aging processes (1, 2). Despite their importance, signaling into, from, and within mitochondria is still not well understood. Emerging signaling mechanisms in mitochondria and between the organelle and its environment include reversible protein deacetylation (3, 4), redox regulation and reactive oxygen species formation (5-7), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling (8, 9).cAMP-dependent effects and proteins of cAMP signaling systems, such as cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB), protein kinase A (PKA), and A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs), 3 have been described in mitochondria (10 -12). In addition to these effector proteins, a complete cAMP signaling microdomain requires enzymes for synthesis and degradation of the second messenger. Although an intramitochondrial cAMP source has been identified recently (8), there is no known cAMP-degrading enzyme in this organelle. Cyclic AMP is formed inside mitochondria by soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) (8), a member of Class III of the nucleotidyl cyclase family, which also comprises the G-protein-regulated transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (13). Unique from transmembrane adenylyl cyclases, sAC is activated by bicarbonate (14), and it appears to act as a metabolic sensor (15), whose mitochondrial form(s) seems to modulate PKA-mediated regulation of respiration (8) and apoptosis (16).The opponents of the cyclic nucleotide-forming cyclases are cyclic nucleotide monophosphate (cNMP)-degrading phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Mammalian cells contain a varying subset of members of the classical PDE family, which comprises 11 PDE gene families (PDE1-11) (17, 18) and non-generic PDEs such as the protein human Prune (19,20). The isoforms of the generic PDEs comprise homologous catalytic domains, fused to varying regulatory domains, making them sensitive to a variety of signals s...

Sirtuins are an evolutionary conserved family of NAD(+)-dependent protein lysine deacylases. Mammals have seven Sirtuin isoforms, Sirt1-7. They contribute to regulation of metabolism, stress responses, and aging processes, and are considered therapeutic targets for metabolic and aging-related diseases. While initial studies were focused on Sirt1 and 2, recent progress on the mitochondrial Sirtuins Sirt3, 4, and 5 has stimulated research and drug development for these isoforms. Here we review the roles of Sirtuins in regulating mitochondrial functions, with a focus on the mitochondrially located isoforms, and on their contributions to disease pathologies. We further summarize the compounds available for modulating the activity of these Sirtuins, again with a focus on mitochondrial isoforms, and we describe recent results important for the further improvement of compounds. This overview illustrates the potential of mitochondrial Sirtuins as drug targets and summarizes the status, progress, and challenges in developing small molecule compounds modulating their activity.

Cell fate and organismal lifespan are controlled by a complex signaling network whose dysfunction can cause a variety of aging-related diseases. An important protection against these failures is cellular apoptosis, which can be induced by p66 Shc in response to cellular stress. The precise mechanisms of p66 Shc action and regulation and the function of the p66 Shc -specific N terminus remain to be identified. Here, we show that the p66 Shc N terminus forms a redox module responsible for apoptosis initiation, and that this module can be activated through reversible tetramerization by forming two disulfide bonds. Glutathione and thioredoxins can reduce and inactivate p66 Shc , resulting in a thiol-based redox sensor system that initiates apoptosis once cellular protection systems cannot cope anymore with cellular stress.apoptosis ͉ mitochondria ͉ redox regulation