Molecular and Genetic Medicine

The Emerging Role of Sirtuin 1,-3 and -4 in Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and in Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Emin Murat Akbas, Levent Demirtas, Ayd?n Guclu, Fatih Mehmet Erdur, Fatih Ozcicek and Kultigin Turkmen

Diabetes mellitus has been accepted as an epidemic worldwide during the last two decades. Despite the diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches, the pathophysiology of this metabolic disorder and cellular defensive mechanisms remain mysterious. The maintenance of cellular homeostasis requires well-organized network between glucose, amino acid and lipid metabolism. Sirtuins are a group of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dependent proteins that are involved in cellular homeostasis by their deacetylating activity. Among them, sirtuin 1,-3 and -4 have been the most extensively explored. In the present review, we aimed to discuss the role of associated sirtuins in glucose and lipid metabolism and in the pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes mellitus.