Implications of altered sirtuins in metabolic regulation and oral cancer

PeerJ. 2023 Feb 14:11:e14752. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14752. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Sirtuins (SIRTs 1-7) are a group of histone deacetylase enzymes with a wide range of enzyme activities that target a range of cellular proteins in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria for posttranslational modifications by acetylation (SIRT1, 2, 3, and 5) or ADP ribosylation (SIRT4, 6, and 7). A variety of cellular functions, including mitochondrial functions and functions in energy homeostasis, metabolism, cancer, longevity and ageing, are regulated by sirtuins. Compromised sirtuin functions and/or alterations in the expression levels of sirtuins may lead to several pathological conditions and contribute significantly to alterations in metabolic phenotypes as well as oral carcinogenesis. Here, we describe the basic characteristics of seven mammalian sirtuins. This review also emphasizes the key molecular mechanisms of sirtuins in metabolic regulation and discusses the possible relationships of sirtuins with oral cancers. This review will provide novel insight into new therapeutic approaches targeting sirtuins that may potentially lead to effective strategies for combating oral malignancies.

Keywords: Metabolic regulation; Oral cancer; Sirtuin.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / genetics
  • Animals
  • Carcinogenesis
  • Longevity
  • Mammals / metabolism
  • Mouth Neoplasms*
  • Sirtuins* / genetics

Substances

  • Sirtuins

Grants and funding

This review was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 81700967) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (NO. 2018JJ3706). He-Ling Wang was also funded by the China Scholarship Council, start date was 19 January 2020. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.