SIRT5 regulates autophagy and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells

Objective Accumulating evidence illustrates that sirtuins (SIRTs) regulate autophagy and apoptosis in cancer cells; however, the role of SIRT5 in gastric cancer (GC) cells remains unknown. In this study, we examined the role of SIRT5 in GC cells. Methods We detected SIRT5 protein levels in freshly collected samples from patients with GC. Next, we studied the function of SIRT5 in autophagy. Furthermore, the signaling pathway through which SIRT5 enhanced autophagy in GC cells was detected. In addition, we established a GC cell apoptosis model to analyze the role of SIRT5 in apoptosis. Results SIRT5 expression was downregulated in GC tissues. We discovered that SIRT5 promoted autophagy in GC cells. We demonstrated that SIRT5 enhanced autophagy in GC cells via the AMP-activated protein kinase–mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. In addition, SIRT5 was degraded during apoptosis in GC cells. Meanwhile, we observed that calpains and caspase-related proteins were associated with SIRT5-related GC cell apoptosis. Conclusions SIRT5 is a crucial regulator of autophagy and apoptosis in GC cell lines that can maintain the balance of autophagy and apoptosis