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SIRT1 (Sir2) is an NAD+-dependent deacetylase that plays critical roles in a broad range of biological events, including metabolism, the immune response and ageing1-5. Although there is strong interest in stimulating SIRT1 catalytic activity, the homeostasis of SIRT1 at the protein level is poorly understood. Here we report that macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy), a catabolic membrane trafficking pathway that degrades cellular components through autophagosomes and lysosomes, mediates the downregulation of mammalian SIRT1 protein during senescence and in vivo ageing. In senescence, nuclear SIRT1 is recognized as an autophagy substrate and is subjected to cytoplasmic autophagosome-lysosome degradation, via the autophagy protein LC3. Importantly, the autophagy-lysosome pathway contributes to the loss of SIRT1 during ageing of several tissues related to the immune and haematopoietic system in mice, including the spleen, thymus, and haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, as well as in CD8+CD28- T cells from aged human donors. Our study reveals a mechanism in the regulation of the protein homeostasis of SIRT1 and suggests a potential strategy to stabilize SIRT1 to promote productive ageing.

Bovine kidney lysosomal α-mannosidase was purified to homogeneity and the gene was cloned. The gene was organized in 24 exons that sparmed 16 kb and its corresponding cDNA contained an open reading frame of 2997 bp beginning from a putative ATG start codon. The deduced amino acid sequence contained a signal peptide of 50 amino acids adjactent to a protein sequence of 949 amino acids that was cleaved into five peptides in the mature enzyme; starting with the peptide derived from the N-terminal part of this precursor, their molecular masses were 35/38 (peptide a), 11/13 (peptide b), 22 (peptide c), 38 (peptide d) and 13/15 kDa (peptide e). Variation in the degree of N-glycosylation accounts for molecular mass heterogeneities of peptides a, b and e. Peptides a, b and c were disulphide-linked. A T961→C transition, resulting in Phe321→Leu substitution, was identified in the cDNA of α-mannosidosis-affected Angus cattle. In affected Galloway cattle, a G662→A transition that causes Arg221→His substitution was identified. Phe321 and Arg221 are conserved among the α-mannosidase class-2 family, indicating that the substitutions resulted from disease-causing mutations in these breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limitation of excessive inflammation due to selective degradation of pro-inflammatory proteins is one of the cytoprotective functions attributed to autophagy. In the current study, we highlight that selective autophagy also plays a vital role in promoting the establishment of a robust inflammatory response. Under inflammatory conditions, here TLR3-activation by poly(I:C) treatment, the inflammation repressor TNIP1 (TNFAIP3 interacting protein 1) is phosphorylated by Tank-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) activating an LIR motif that leads to the selective autophagy-dependent degradation of TNIP1, supporting the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins. This selective autophagy efficiently reduces TNIP1 protein levels early (0-4 h) upon poly(I:C) treatment to allow efficient initiation of the inflammatory response. At 6 h, TNIP1 levels are restored due to increased transcription avoiding sustained inflammation. Thus, similarly as in cancer, autophagy may play a dual role in controlling inflammation depending on the exact state and timing of the inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limitation of excessive inflammation due to selective degradation of pro-inflammatory proteins is one of the cytoprotective functions attributed to autophagy. In the current study, we highlight that selective autophagy also plays a vital role in promoting the establishment of a robust inflammatory response. Under inflammatory conditions, here TLR3-activation by poly(I:C) treatment, the inflammation repressor TNIP1 (TNFAIP3 interacting protein 1) is phosphorylated by Tank-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) activating an LIR motif that leads to the selective autophagy-dependent degradation of TNIP1, supporting the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins. This selective autophagy efficiently reduces TNIP1 protein levels early (0-4 h) upon poly(I:C) treatment to allow efficient initiation of the inflammatory response. At 6 h, TNIP1 levels are restored due to increased transcription avoiding sustained inflammation. Thus, similarly as in cancer, autophagy may play a dual role in controlling inflammation depending on the exact state and timing of the inflammatory response., (© 2022 Zhou et al.)

Human LAMAN (lysosomal a-mannosidase) was synthesized as a 120 kDa precursor in transfected COS cells [African-green-monkey kidney cells], which was partly secreted as a single-chain form and partly sorted to the lysosomes being subsequently cleaved into three peptides of 70, 40 and 15 kDa respectively. Both the secreted and the lysosomal forms contained endo H (endoglucosidase H)-resistant glycans, suggesting a common pathway through the trans-Golgi network. A fraction of LAMAN was retained intracellularly as a single-chain endo H-sensitive form, probably in the ER (endoplasmic reticulum). The inherited lack of LAMAN causes the autosomal recessive storage disease a-mannosidosis. To understand the biochemical consequences of the disease-causing mutations, 11 missense mutations and two in-frame deletions were introduced into human LAMAN cDNA by in vitro mutagenesis and the resulting proteins were expressed in COS cells. Some selected mutants were also expressed in Chinese-hamster ovary cells. T355P (Thr355Pro), P356R, W714R, R750W and L809P LAMANs as well as both deletion mutants were misfolded and arrested in the ER as inactive single-chain forms. Six of the mutants were transported to the lysosomes, either with less than 5% of normal specific activity (H72L, D196E/N and R220H LAMANs) or with more than 30% of normal specific activity (E402K LAMAN). F320L LAMAN resulted in much lower activity in Chinese-hamster ovary cells when compared with COS cells. Modelling into the three-dimensional structure revealed that the mutants with highly reduced specific activities contained substitutions of amino acids involved in the catalysis, either co-ordinating Zn2+ (His72 and Asp196), stabilizing the active-site nucleophile (Arg220) or positioning the active-site residue Asp319 (Phe320).

Lysosomal alpha-mannosidase (LAM: EC 3.2.1.24) belongs to the sequence-based glycoside hydrolase family 38 (GH38). Two other mammalian GH38 members, Golgi alpha-mannosidase II (GIIAM) and cytosolic alpha-mannosidase, are expressed in all tissues. In humans, cattle, cat and guinea pig, lack of lysosomal alpha-mannosidase activity causes the autosomal recessive disease alpha-mannosidosis. Here, we describe the three-dimensional structure of bovine lysosomal alpha-mannosidase (bLAM) at 2.7A resolution and confirm the solution state dimer by electron microscopy. We present the first structure of a mammalian GH38 enzyme that offers indications for the signal areas for mannose phosphorylation, suggests a previously undetected mechanism of low-pH activation and provides a template for further biochemical studies of the family 38 glycoside hydrolases as well as lysosomal transport. Furthermore, it provides a basis for understanding the human form of alpha-mannosidosis at the atomic level. The atomic coordinates and structure factors have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank (accession codes 1o7d and r1o7dsf).