Posttranslational modifications of histone deacetylases: implications for cardiovascular diseases

Posttranslational modification (PTM) is a term that implies dynamic modification of proteins after their translation. PTM is involved not only in homeostasis but also in pathologic conditions related to diverse diseases. Histone deacetylases (HDACs), which are known as transcriptional regulators, are one example of posttranslational modifiers with diverse roles in human pathophysiology, including cardiovascular diseases. In experimental models, HDAC inhibitors are beneficial in supraventricular arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, cardiac remodeling, hypertension, and fibrosis. In addition, HDACs are closely related to other vascular diseases such as neointima formation, atherosclerosis, and vascular calcification. Currently, HDACs are classified into four different classes. The class IIa HDACs work as transcriptional regulators mainly by direct association with other transcription factors to their target binding elements in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Class I HDACs, by contrast, have much greater enzymatic activity than the class II HDACs and target various non-histone proteins as well as the histone-core complex. Class I HDACs undergo PTMs such as phosphorylation, sumoylation, and S-nitrosylation. Considering the growing evidence for the role of HDACs in cardiovascular diseases, the PTMs of the HDACs themselves as well as HDAC-mediated PTM of their targets should be considered for future potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss 1) the roles of each HDAC in specific cardiovascular diseases and 2) the PTM of HDACs, 3) and the implications of such modifications for cardiovascular diseases.