Lactylation, an emerging hallmark of metabolic reprogramming: Current progress and open challenges

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Epigenetics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Lactate, the end product of glycolysis, plays diverse roles beyond metabolism.
• Protein lactylation, regulated by lactate, is an emerging post-translational modification.
• Lactylation influences critical biological processes including cell fate, development, and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in the discovery and function of protein lactylation.
• To explore the cross-species landscape and mechanistic insights of lactylation.
• To identify limitations in current research and propose future directions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent studies on protein lactylation.
• Analysis of the role of lactate in regulating lactylation.
• Synthesis of findings on lactylation's involvement in various biological contexts.

Main Results:

• Protein lactylation is a significant epigenetic modification with broad biological implications.
• Lactylation impacts cell fate, embryonic development, inflammation, cancer, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
• Recent research has expanded our understanding of lactylation's discovery, derivation, and cross-species prevalence.

Conclusions:

• Protein lactylation represents a novel regulatory layer in cellular function and disease.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of lactylation.
• Addressing current discrepancies and limitations will pave the way for future investigations into lactylation.