Sirtuin Deacetylation Mechanism and Catalytic Role of the Dynamic Cofactor Binding Loop.

ABSTRACT: Sirtuins constitute a novel family of protein deacetylases and play critical roles in epigenetics, cell death, and metabolism. In spite of numerous experimental studies, the key and most complicated stage of its NAD⁺-dependent catalytic mechanism remains to be elusive. Herein by employing Born-Oppenheimer ab initio QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations, a state-of-the-art computational approach to study enzyme reactions, we have characterized the complete deacetylation mechanism for a sirtuin enzyme, determined its multistep free-energy reaction profile, and elucidated essential catalytic roles of the conserved dynamic cofactor binding loop. These new detailed mechanistic insights would facilitate the design of novel mechanism-based sirtuin modulators.

SUBMITTER: Shi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3621114 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature