Cited by 343Sirtuins and Resveratrol in MedicineMitochondrial Function and PathologyAutophagy in Disease and Therapy

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 103 of the 103 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 6 of the 149 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

The Mitochondrial Acylome Emerges: Proteomics, Regulation by Sirtuins, and Metabolic and Disease Implications

Open access
Carrico, Chris, Meyer, Jesse G., He, Wenjuan, Gibson, Brad W., Verdin, Eric·2018·Cell Metabolism

Abstract

Post-translational modification of lysine residues via reversible acylation occurs on proteins from diverse pathways, functions, and organisms. While nuclear protein acylation reflects the competing activities of enzymatic acyltransferases and deacylases, mitochondrial acylation appears to be driven mostly via a non-enzymatic mechanism. Three protein deacylases, SIRT3, SIRT4, and SIRT5, reside in the mitochondria and remove these modifications from targeted proteins in an NAD+-dependent manner. Recent proteomic surveys of mitochondrial protein acylation have identified the sites of protein acetylation, succinylation, glutarylation, and malonylation and their regulation by SIRT3 and SIRT5. Here, we review recent advances in this rapidly moving field, their biological significance, and their implications for mitochondrial function, metabolic regulation, and disease pathogenesis.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review argues that mitochondrial lysine acylation is largely a non-enzymatic consequence of reactive acyl-CoA species and is reversed by mitochondrial sirtuins SIRT3, SIRT4, and SIRT5. It synthesizes proteomic and biochemical evidence linking these modifications to mitochondrial metabolism, stress responses, and diseases including metabolic syndrome, cancer, neurological disorders, and hearing loss.

Key findings

  • Mitochondrial acylation includes acetylation, succinylation, malonylation, glutarylation, and other acyl marks; SIRT3 is the major mitochondrial deacetylase, SIRT5 removes acidic acyl groups such as succinyl, malonyl, and glutaryl, and SIRT4 remains the least understood but has been linked to lipoyl, biotinyl, and branched-chain acyl modifications.
  • Proteomic surveys mapped thousands of sites: for example, 2,187 acetylation sites in 483 mouse liver mitochondrial proteins, with 283 sites in 136 proteins increased more than twofold in SIRT3-deficient mice; 2,565 succinylation sites in 779 proteins in SIRT5-deficient liver and MEFs; and 1,137 malonylation sites in 430 proteins, with 183 sites increased in SIRT5 knockout liver.
  • Acylation is often inhibitory for mitochondrial enzymes, and sirtuin-mediated removal can activate pathways such as fatty acid oxidation, ketone body synthesis, the urea cycle, and oxidative stress defense; examples include PDH, HMGCS2, CPS1, OTC, MnSOD, and IDH2.
  • Disease connections include SIRT3 loss with metabolic syndrome, pulmonary arterial hypertension, age-related hearing loss, and context-dependent cancer roles; SIRT5 loss with altered ketone body production, ammonia handling, and glycolysis; and SIRT4 with leucine metabolism and insulin secretion.

Methods

  • Narrative review synthesizing published proteomic, biochemical, genetic, and structural studies; no new primary experimental data are reported.
  • The paper compares mass-spectrometry strategies for acylation profiling, including label-free quantification, SILAC, isobaric tagging such as TMT, and newer stoichiometry methods.
  • Evidence discussed comes from mouse knockout models, cell lines, human tissues, and in vitro enzyme assays, with emphasis on SIRT3 and SIRT5 datasets and selected SIRT4 studies.

Limitations

  • Stated: SIRT4’s enzymatic activity and target specificity remain poorly defined; most acylation sites appear to have low stoichiometry, often below 1% for acetylation, raising questions about functional relevance; indirect SILAC-based stoichiometry can overestimate occupancy because lysine carries multiple modifications; and study discrepancies exist, such as the 28% versus 79% overlap reported between succinylation and acetylation sites.
  • Stated: the mechanisms connecting acylation changes to whole-organism disease phenotypes are largely unknown, and many disease effects are likely mediated by multiple low-occupancy modifications rather than a single site.
  • Evident: as a review, the conclusions depend on the cited literature rather than new experiments, and the field lacks comprehensive stoichiometry data for most acyl modifications.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.01.016

Cites

103 of 103 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

106 Not checked yet · 42 Own interpretation · 6 No basis given · 2 Supported · 1 Partly supported · 1 Mixed support · accuracy not yet measured

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Show all 93 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 60
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 6
65 of 65
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    ACAT1 can hold a reactive acetyl-CoA molecule in place long enough to increase the local concentration of reactive thioester, enabling a semi-enzymatic mechanism for increased acetylation of PDP1 and PDHA1.

    “Assuming that ACAT1 is capable of holding a reactive acetyl-CoA molecule in place for long enough, increasing the local concentration of reactive thioester, a semi-enzymatic mechanism may account for increased acetylation to PDP1/PDHA1.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Mitochondrial acylation sites generally have low stoichiometry.

    “Given the generally low stoichiometry of mitochondrial acylation sites, each disease is likely mediated by multiple presently-unidentified acylations, each slightly but cooperatively impairing mitochondrial function.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Both over-nutrition and under-nutrition create abnormal metabolic states with high levels of acyl-CoAs.

    “Both over- and under-nutrition create abnormal metabolic states with high levels of acyl-CoAs.”
3 of 3

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Metadata

Authors
Carrico, C., Meyer, J. G., He, W., Gibson, B. W., & Verdin, E.
Affiliations
  • Gladstone Institutes (US)
  • Buck Institute for Research on Aging (US)
Corresponding author
Verdin, Eric
Venue
Cell Metabolism
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-03
Volume
27
Issue
3
Pages
497-512
ISSN
1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2793563787
Cited by
331
References
103
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 15
FWCI
3.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • NIDDK (R24 DK085610)
  • NIH (T32 AG000266)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Sirtuins and Resveratrol in Medicine
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
Keywords
protein acetylation, succinylation, SIRT3, SIRT5, mitochondrial function, metabolic regulation, mitochondrial disease
MeSH terms
Acetylation, Acylation, Animals, Humans, Mitochondria, Protein Processing, Post-Translational, Mitochondrial Proteins, Sirtuins, Proteomics

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