The role of N-acetyltransferases in cancers

Rongrong Zhu; Mengjiao Chen; Yongjia Luo; Haipeng Cheng; Zhenwang Zhao; Min Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.gene.2023.147866

The role of N-acetyltransferases in cancers

Gene. 2024 Jan 20:892:147866. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147866. Epub 2023 Sep 30.

Authors

Rongrong Zhu¹, Mengjiao Chen¹, Yongjia Luo², Haipeng Cheng³, Zhenwang Zhao⁴, Min Zhang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Laboratory for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Arteriosclerotic Disease, Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Big Data, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
² Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Laboratory for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Arteriosclerotic Disease, Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Big Data, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China; Department of Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
³ Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, PR China.
⁴ Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, Hubei 441053, PR China. Electronic address: zhaozhenwang6911@163.com.
⁵ Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Laboratory for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Arteriosclerotic Disease, Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Big Data, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China. Electronic address: mzhangusc@126.com.

PMID: 37783298
DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147866

Abstract

Cancer is a major global health problem that disrupts the balance of normal cellular growth and behavior. Mounting evidence has shown that epigenetic modification, specifically N-terminal acetylation, play a crucial role in the regulation of cell growth and function. Acetylation is a co- or post-translational modification to regulate important cellular progresses such as cell proliferation, cell cycle progress, and energy metabolism. Recently, N-acetyltransferases (NATs), enzymes responsible for acetylation, regulate signal transduction pathway in various cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. In this review, we clarify the regulatory role of NATs in cancer progression, such as cell proliferation, metastasis, cell apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest and energy metabolism. Furthermore, the mechanism of NATs on cancer remains to be further studied, and few drugs have been developed. This provides us with a new idea that targeting acetylation, especially NAT-mediated acetylation, may be an attractive way for inhibiting cancer progression.

Keywords: Acetylation; Cancer; N-acetyltransferases (NATs); N-α-acetyltransferase 10 (NAA10); Signal pathway.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acetylation
Acetyltransferases / genetics
Acetyltransferases / metabolism
Apoptosis
Humans
Male
Neoplasms* / genetics
Protein Processing, Post-Translational*

Substances

Acetyltransferases