Histone modifications, such as the frequently occurring lysine succinylation1,2, are central to the regulation of chromatin-based processes. However, the mechanism and functional consequences of histone succinylation are unknown. Here we show that the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (α-KGDH) complex is localized in the nucleus in human cell lines and binds to lysine acetyltransferase 2A (KAT2A, also known as GCN5) in the promoter regions of genes. We show that succinyl-coenzyme A (succinyl-CoA) binds to KAT2A. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of KAT2A in complex with succinyl-CoA at 2.3 Å resolution shows that succinyl-CoA binds to a deep cleft of KAT2A with the succinyl moiety pointing towards the end of a flexible loop 3, which adopts different structural conformations in succinyl-CoA-bound and acetyl-CoA-bound forms. Site-directed mutagenesis indicates that tyrosine 645 in this loop has an important role in the selective binding of succinyl- CoA over acetyl-CoA. KAT2A acts as a succinyltransferase and succinylates histone H3 on lysine 79, with a maximum frequency around the transcription start sites of genes. Preventing the α-KGDH complex from entering the nucleus, or expression of KAT2A(Tyr645Ala), reduces gene expression and inhibits tumour cell proliferation and tumour growth. These findings reveal an important mechanism of histone modification and demonstrate that local generation of succinyl-CoA by the nuclear α-KGDH complex coupled with the succinyltransferase activity of KAT2A is instrumental in histone succinylation, tumour cell proliferation, and tumour development.

Obesity is currently epidemic in many countries worldwide and is strongly related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the differences in metabolomic profiling between overweight/obese and normal-weight men. Overweight/obese (n=30) and age-matched, normal-weight men (n=30) were included. Anthropometric parameters, conventional metabolites, and biomarkers were measured. Metabolomic profiling was analyzed with UPLC-Q-TOF MS. Overweight/obese men showed higher levels of HOMA-IR, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, and lower levels of HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin than lean men. Overweight/obese men showed higher proportion of stearic acid and lower proportion of oleic acid in serum phospholipids. Additionally, overweight/obese individuals showed higher fat intake and lower ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids. We identified three lyso-phosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) as potential plasma markers and confirmed eight known metabolites for overweight/obesity men. Especially, overweight/obese subjects showed higher levels of lysoPC C14:0 and lysoPC C18:0 and lower levels of lysoPC C18:1 than lean subjects. Results confirmed abnormal metabolism of two branched-chain amino acids, two aromatic amino acids, and fatty acid synthesis and oxidation in overweight/obese men. Additionally, the amount of dietary saturated fat may influence the proportion of saturated fatty acids in serum phospholipids and the degree of saturation of the constituent acyl group of plasma lysoPC.

SUMMARY Overcoming metabolic stress is a critical step in tumor growth. Acetyl-CoA generated from glucose and acetate uptake is important for histone acetylation and gene expression. However, how acetyl-CoA is produced under nutritional stress is unclear. We demonstrate here that glucose deprivation results in AMPK-mediated acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) phosphorylation at S659, which exposed the nuclear localization signal of ACSS2 for importin α5 binding and nuclear translocation. In the nucleus, ACSS2 binds to transcription factor EB and translocates to lysosomal and autophagy gene promoter regions, where ACSS2 incorporates acetate generated from histone acetylation turnover to locally produce acetyl-CoA for histone H3 acetylation in these regions and promote lysosomal biogenesis, autophagy, cell survival, and brain tumorigenesis. In addition, ACSS2 S659 phosphorylation positively correlates with AMPK activity in glioma specimens and grades of glioma malignancy. These results underscore the significance of nuclear ACSS2-mediated histone acetylation in maintaining cell homeostasis and tumor development.

SUMMARY Autophagy is crucial for maintaining cell homeostasis. However, the precise mechanism underlying autophagy initiation remains to be defined. Here, we demonstrate that glutamine deprivation and hypoxia result in inhibition of mTOR-mediated acetyl-transferase ARD1 S228 phosphorylation, leading to ARD1-dependent phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) K388 acetylation and subsequent PGK1-mediated Beclin1 S30 phosphorylation. This phosphorylation enhances ATG14L-associated class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase VPS34 activity by increasing the binding of phosphatidylinositol to VPS34. ARD1-dependent PGK1 acetylation and PGK1-mediated Beclin1 S30 phosphorylation are required for glutamine deprivation- and hypoxia-induced autophagy and brain tumorigenesis. Furthermore, PGK1 K388 acetylation levels correlate with Beclin1 S30 phosphorylation levels and poor prognosis in glioblastoma patients. Our study unearthed an important mechanism underlying cellular stress-induced autophagy initiation, in which the protein kinase activity of the metabolic enzyme PGK1 plays an instrumental role, and revealed the significance of the mutual regulation of autophagy and cell metabolism in maintaining cell homeostasis.

Phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK1) plays a critical role in glycolysis; however, its role and regulation in tumorigenesis are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that PFK1 platelet isoform (PFKP) is the predominant PFK1 isoform in human glioblastoma cells and its expression correlates with total PFK activity. We show that PFKP is overexpressed in human glioblastoma specimens due to an increased stability, which is induced by AKT activation resulting from phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) loss and EGFR-dependent PI3K activation. AKT binds to and phosphorylates PFKP at S386, and this phosphorylation inhibits the binding of TRIM21 E3 ligase to PFKP and the subsequent TRIM21-mediated polyubiquitylation and degradation of PFKP. PFKP S386 phosphorylation increases PFKP expression and promotes aerobic glycolysis, cell proliferation, and brain tumor growth. In addition, S386 phosphorylation in human glioblastoma specimens positively correlates with PFKP expression, AKT S473 phosphorylation, and poor prognosis. These findings underscore the potential role and regulation of PFKP in human glioblastoma development.