Lactylation formation, gene regulation, biological functions, and clinical relevance

Lactate, as an end-product of glycolysis, has been considered as a metabolic waste that participates in a few physiological functions. Recently, a novel study by Zhao's laboratory reported that lactate can serve as an epigenetic modification substrate, causing histone or nonhistone lysine residues to undergo lactylation, which then regulates gene transcription, translation, and protein function. Subsequent studies confirmed that lactylation plays an important role in a series of physiological and pathological processes, such as inflammation, cancer, and other biological processes. In this review, we summarize advanced achievements on the effects of lactylation in various diseases and potential treatment targets, providing a reference and direction for future research.