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Updated: Sep 26, 2025

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy
07:20

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy

Published on: October 18, 2024

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Oncometabolites drive tumorigenesis by enhancing protein acylation: from chromosomal remodelling to nonhistone

Yidian Fu1, Jie Yu1, Fang Li2

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P.R. China.

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research : CR
|April 16, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Metabolites can covalently modify proteins through novel lysine acylations, impacting gene expression and cell signaling. These modifications offer potential for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Metabolites are key intermediates in cellular metabolism.
  • Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer cells, leading to abnormal metabolite accumulation.
  • Metabolites can noncovalently interact with proteins to regulate cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review novel lysine acylations beyond acetylation.
  • To explore the characteristics and functions of nine specific lysine acylations.
  • To highlight the role of these modifications in tumorigenesis and their diagnostic/therapeutic potential.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on metabolite-protein interactions.
  • Focus on mass spectrometry-based identification of lysine acylations.
  • Classification of acylation types into histone and nonhistone modifications.

Main Results:

  • Metabolites covalently modify proteins via various lysine acylations (e.g., crotonylation, lactylation, succinylation).
  • These modifications regulate gene expression and intracellular signaling pathways.
  • Nine novel lysine acylations (excluding acetylation) are discussed, categorized as histone or nonhistone.

Conclusions:

  • Novel lysine acylations play significant roles in cellular functions and cancer development.
  • These acylation patterns serve as potential biomarkers for tumor diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic targets.
Keywords:
Epigenetic modificationLysine acylationMetabolitesTumour

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