Rosuvastatin Modulates the Post-Translational Acetylome in Endothelial Cells

Statins are lipid-lowering drugs that can simultaneously evoke pleiotropic effects on cardioprotection, vasodilation, and diabetes prevention. Recently, statins have been reported to be able to activate the AMP-activated protein kinase, thereby up-regulating sirtuin (SIRT) that functions as non-histone deacetylases. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the post-translational acetylome that might explain the mechanism of statin-modulated pleiotropic effects.

Endothelial cells EAhy 926 treated with rosuvastatin were used to monitor the expression of SIRTs proteins. The protein lysates of both mock- and rosuvastatin-treated cells were further separated by two- dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with western blotting analysis. The significantly changed acetyl- containing proteins detected by using an anti-acetyl lysine antibody were collected from another preparative gel for mass spectrometric assay to identify the acetylated site in the proteins.

Rosuvastatin treatment was shown to increase the SIRT1 expression when compared with SIRT2. Among 100 detected proteins with acetylated signal, 12 showed an increased level of acetylation, whereas 6 showed a decreased level of acetylation (deacetylation). The acetylated lysine (K) sites of 3 heat shock proteins, i.e., HSP47/K(165), HSP70/K(380), and heat shock-inducible protein/K(417), were determined. We also found that beta-filamin, elongation factor, galectin and hCG22067 have 2 acetylated lysine sites in their peptide sequences. These dynamic acetylations might alter the protein's function and are thought to be important in regulating statin-mediated pleiotropic effect.

Our study provided a feasible methodology for detecting acetylated proteins. This acetylome information may be utilized to explain, at least partially, the mechanisms of statin-derived pleiotropic effects.

Acetylation/deacetylation; Acetylome; Endothelial cell; Proteomics; Rosuvastatin; Sirtuin.