Pan Yikai, Zhang Qian, Li Chengfei, Li Xi, Li Shuhan, Wang Yuan, Wang Ruonan, Fan Jieyi, Tie Yateng, Zhao Xingcheng, Gao Yuan, Wang Yongchun, Sun Xiqing
Department of Aerospace Medical Training, School of Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Mar 23;26(7):2908. doi: 10.3390/ijms26072908.
The adverse effects of weightlessness on the human cardiovascular system greatly hinder the process of long-term and long-distance space exploration. Succinylation is an important type of protein post-translational modification. However, whether succinylation modification is able to play a role in altered vascular endothelial cell function under microgravity or simulated microgravity has not been reported. This study aims to investigate the quantitative global proteome and the changes in lysine succinylation in related proteins, seeking to facilitate a better understanding of the protein post-translational modification in cardiovascular deconditioning under microgravity. LC-MS/MS combined with bioinformatics analysis were used to quantitatively detect the perspectives at the global protein level. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis were conducted to further verify the alterations of related proteins and lysine succinylation. A total of 132 differentially expressed proteins and 164 differentially expressed lysine succinylation sites were identified in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Bioinformatics analysis indicates that lysine succinylation may play a potential role in energy metabolism. In addition, desuccinylase SIRT5 was downregulated and regulated succinylation modification levels of HUVECs under simulated microgravity. Notably, the overexpression of SIRT5 effectively protected HUVECs from apoptosis induced by simulated microgravity. And the succinylation of Lys396 in ERO1A was significantly increased in HUVECs under simulated microgravity. Mechanistically, the knockdown of SIRT5 was found to induce the apoptosis of HUVECs through the succinylation of Lys396 in ERO1A. These results can provide new ideas for elucidating the molecular mechanism of cardiovascular dysfunction in microgravity environments, and provide key molecular targets for scientific protective measures against microgravity in space.
失重对人体心血管系统的不良影响极大地阻碍了长期和远距离太空探索的进程。琥珀酰化是蛋白质翻译后修饰的一种重要类型。然而,琥珀酰化修饰是否能在微重力或模拟微重力条件下改变血管内皮细胞功能中发挥作用尚未见报道。本研究旨在探究定量蛋白质组及相关蛋白质赖氨酸琥珀酰化的变化,以更好地理解微重力下心血管功能失调中的蛋白质翻译后修饰。采用液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)结合生物信息学分析,在整体蛋白质水平进行定量检测。通过免疫沉淀和蛋白质印迹分析进一步验证相关蛋白质和赖氨酸琥珀酰化的改变。在人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVECs)中总共鉴定出132个差异表达蛋白质和164个差异表达的赖氨酸琥珀酰化位点。生物信息学分析表明,赖氨酸琥珀酰化可能在能量代谢中发挥潜在作用。此外,去琥珀酰化酶SIRT5在模拟微重力条件下表达下调并调节HUVECs的琥珀酰化修饰水平。值得注意的是,SIRT5的过表达有效保护HUVECs免受模拟微重力诱导的细胞凋亡。在模拟微重力条件下,HUVECs中ERO1A的Lys396位点的琥珀酰化显著增加。机制上,发现敲低SIRT5可通过ERO1A的Lys396位点的琥珀酰化诱导HUVECs凋亡。这些结果可为阐明微重力环境中心血管功能障碍的分子机制提供新思路,并为太空微重力科学防护措施提供关键分子靶点。