Search

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.

Genetic analysis of breakthrough infections in people vaccinated against HIV-1 show that vaccine efficacy increased by up to 80% against viruses carrying two mutations in Env V2, but also raises the possibility of population-level adaptation to the vaccine. A major clinical trial involving more than 16,000 volunteers, known as the RV144 trial, tested a combination of two vaccines (ALVAC-HIV and AIDSVAX B/E gp120) for its ability to prevent HIV infection, as well as for safety. The vaccine was 31% effective against HIV-1 infection, and antibodies against the HIV-1 envelope variable loop 1 and 2 (V1/V2) domain correlated inversely with infection risk. Rolland et al. present a genetic analysis of breakthrough infections in RV144 trial participants and identify signatures associated with vaccine-induced immune pressure, thereby gaining support for a causal relationship between vaccination and protection. Viral amino-acid changes at positions 169 and 181 in the second variable loop of the viral envelope are shown to be most associated with efficacy — and represent possible targets for future vaccines. The RV144 trial demonstrated 31% vaccine efficacy at preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection1. Antibodies against the HIV-1 envelope variable loops 1 and 2 (Env V1 and V2) correlated inversely with infection risk2. We proposed that vaccine-induced immune responses against V1/V2 would have a selective effect against, or sieve, HIV-1 breakthrough viruses. A total of 936 HIV-1 genome sequences from 44 vaccine and 66 placebo recipients were examined. We show that vaccine-induced immune responses were associated with two signatures in V2 at amino acid positions 169 and 181. Vaccine efficacy against viruses matching the vaccine at position 169 was 48% (confidence interval 18% to 66%; P = 0.0036), whereas vaccine efficacy against viruses mismatching the vaccine at position 181 was 78% (confidence interval 35% to 93%; P = 0.0028). Residue 169 is in a cationic glycosylated region recognized by broadly neutralizing and RV144-derived antibodies. The predicted distance between the two signature sites (21 ± 7 A) and their match/mismatch dichotomy indicate that multiple factors may be involved in the protection observed in RV144. Genetic signatures of RV144 vaccination in V2 complement the finding of an association between high V1/V2-binding antibodies and reduced risk of HIV-1 acquisition, and provide evidence that vaccine-induced V2 responses plausibly had a role in the partial protection conferred by the RV144 regimen.

The RV144 clinical trial showed the partial efficacy of a vaccine regimen with an estimated vaccine efficacy (VE) of 31% for protecting low-risk Thai volunteers against acquisition of HIV-1. The impact of vaccine-induced immune responses can be investigated through sieve analysis of HIV-1 breakthrough infections (infected vaccine and placebo recipients). A V1/V2-targeted comparison of the genomes of HIV-1 breakthrough viruses identified two V2 amino acid sites that differed between the vaccine and placebo groups. Here we extended the V1/V2 analysis to the entire HIV-1 genome using an array of methods based on individual sites, k-mers and genes/proteins. We identified 56 amino acid sites or “signatures” and 119 k-mers that differed between the vaccine and placebo groups. Of those, 19 sites and 38 k-mers were located in the regions comprising the RV144 vaccine (Env-gp120, Gag, and Pro). The nine signature sites in Env-gp120 were significantly enriched for known antibody-associated sites (p = 0.0021). In particular, site 317 in the third variable loop (V3) overlapped with a hotspot of antibody recognition, and sites 369 and 424 were linked to CD4 binding site neutralization. The identified signature sites significantly covaried with other sites across the genome (mean = 32.1) more than did non-signature sites (mean = 0.9) (p < 0.0001), suggesting functional and/or structural relevance of the signature sites. Since signature sites were not preferentially restricted to the vaccine immunogens and because most of the associations were insignificant following correction for multiple testing, we predict that few of the genetic differences are strongly linked to the RV144 vaccine-induced immune pressure. In addition to presenting results of the first complete-genome analysis of the breakthrough infections in the RV144 trial, this work describes a set of statistical methods and tools applicable to analysis of breakthrough infection genomes in general vaccine efficacy trials for diverse pathogens., Author Summary We present an analysis of the genomes of the HIV viruses that infected some participants of the RV144 Thai trial, which was the first study to show efficacy of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection. We analyzed the HIV genomes of infected vaccine recipients and infected placebo recipients, and found differences between them. These differences coincide with previously-studied genetic features that are relevant to the biology of HIV infection, including features involved in immune recognition of the virus. The findings presented here generate testable hypotheses about the mechanism of the partial protection seen in the Thai trial, and may ultimately lead to improved vaccines. The article also presents a toolkit of methods for computational analyses that can be applied to other vaccine efficacy trials.

Summary Protein acylation links energetic substrate flux with cellular adaptive responses. SIRT5 is a NAD + -dependent lysine deacylase and removes both succinyl and malonyl groups. Using affinity enrichment and label free quantitative proteomics, we characterized the SIRT5-regulated lysine malonylome in wild-type (WT) and Sirt5 −/− mice. 1,137 malonyllysine sites were identified across 430 proteins, with 183 sites (from 120 proteins) significantly increased in Sirt5 −/− animals. Pathway analysis identified glycolysis as the top SIRT5-regulated pathway. Importantly, glycolytic flux was diminished in primary hepatocytes from Sirt5 −/− compared to WT mice. Substitution of malonylated lysine residue 184 in glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase with glutamic acid, a malonyllysine mimic, suppressed its enzymatic activity. Comparison with our previous reports on acylation reveals that malonylation targets a different set of proteins than acetylation and succinylation. These data demonstrate that SIRT5 is a global regulator of lysine malonylation and provide a mechanism for regulation of energetic flux through glycolysis.

SummaryReversible posttranslational modifications are emerging as critical regulators of mitochondrial proteins and metabolism. Here, we use a label-free quantitative proteomic approach to characterize the lysine succinylome in liver mitochondria and its regulation by the desuccinylase SIRT5. A total of 1,190 unique sites were identified as succinylated, and 386 sites across 140 proteins representing several metabolic pathways including β-oxidation and ketogenesis were significantly hypersuccinylated in Sirt5−/− animals. Loss of SIRT5 leads to accumulation of medium- and long-chain acylcarnitines and decreased β-hydroxybutyrate production in vivo. In addition, we demonstrate that SIRT5 regulates succinylation of the rate-limiting ketogenic enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2) both in vivo and in vitro. Finally, mutation of hypersuccinylated residues K83 and K310 on HMGCS2 to glutamic acid strongly inhibits enzymatic activity. Taken together, these findings establish SIRT5 as a global regulator of lysine succinylation in mitochondria and present a mechanism for inhibition of ketogenesis through HMGCS2.