The Sir2 enzyme family is responsible for a newly classifie
d chemical reaction, NAD
+-
depen
dent protein
deacetylation. New pepti
de substrates, the reaction mechanism, an
d the pro
ducts of theacetyl transfer to NAD
+ are
describe
d for SIR2. The final pro
ducts of SIR2 reactions are the
deacetylate
dpepti
de an
d the 2' an
d 3' regioisomers of
O-acetyl ADP ribose (AADPR), forme
d through an
-1'-acetylADP ribose interme
diate an
d intramolecular transesterification reactions (2'
3'). The regioisomers,their anomeric forms, the interconversion rates, an
d the reaction equilibria were characterize
d by NMR,HPLC,
18O exchange, an
d MS metho
ds. The mechanism of acetyl transfer to NAD
+ inclu
des (1) ADPribosylation of the pepti
de acyl oxygen to form a high-energy
O-alkyl ami
date interme
diate, (2) attack ofthe 2'-OH group on the ami
date to form a 1',2'-acyloxonium species, (3) hy
drolysis to 2'-AADPR by theattack of water on the carbonyl carbon, an
d (4) an SIR2-in
depen
dent transesterification equilibrating the2'- an
d 3'-AADPRs. This mechanism is unprece
dente
d in ADP-ribosyl transferase enzymology. The 2'-an
d 3'-AADPR pro
ducts are can
di
date molecules for SIR2-initiate
d signaling pathways.