Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
14:32
Deacetylation Assays to Unravel the Interplay between Sirtuins (SIRT2) and Specific Protein-substrates
Published on: February 27, 2016
[Research advances in Sirt1 gene]
Ai-jun Qiao1, Jin Zhiao, Xiao-jun Liu
1National Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, China.
Summary
The Sirt1 gene, a homolog of yeast Sir2, regulates gene transcription, metabolism, and aging. It plays a role in fat mobilization, glucose production, and insulin secretion, acting as an apoptosis inhibitor.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cell Biology
Context:
- Sirt1 gene is the most homologous counterpart of yeast silent information regulator 2 (Sir2).
- It is widely expressed in mature tissues, with high abundance in early embryonic and reproductive cells.
Purpose:
- To investigate the multifaceted roles of the Sirt1 gene.
- To highlight its functions in gene transcription, energy metabolism, and cellular aging.
Summary:
- Sirt1 regulates adipocyte fat mobilization, hepatic glucose production, and pancreatic islet beta-cell insulin secretion.
- It functions as a critical endogenous inhibitor of apoptosis.
Impact:
- Sirt1's functions suggest its potential as a therapeutic target for various diseases.
- It may offer novel strategies for disease management and treatment development.
Related Concept Videos
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
02:15Experimental RNAi
RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
01:29Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
01:37Mitochondria
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...