Modulation of NF-jB-dependent transcription and cell survival by the SIRT1 deacetylase

NF-jB is responsible for upregulating gene products that control cell survival. In this study, we demonstrate that SIRT1, a nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide-dependent histone deacetylase, regulates the transcriptional activity of NF-jB. SIRT1, the mammalian ortholog of the yeast SIR2 (Silencing Information Regulator) and a member of the Sirtuin family, has been implicated in modulating tran-scriptional silencing and cell survival. SIRT1 physically interacts with the RelA/p65 subunit of NF-jB and inhibits transcription by deacetylating RelA/p65 at lysine 310. Treatment of cells with resveratrol, a small-molecule ago-nist of Sirtuin activity, potentiates chromatin-associated SIRT1 protein on the cIAP-2 promoter region, an effect that correlates with a loss of NF-jB-regulated gene expression and sensitization of cells to TNFa-induced apoptosis. While SIRT1 is capable of protecting cells from p53-in-duced apoptosis, our work provides evidence that SIRT1 activity augments apoptosis in response to TNFa by the ability of the deacetylase to inhibit the transactivation potential of the RelA/p65 protein