SIRT6-dependent cysteine monoubiquitination in the PRE-SET domain of Suv39h1 regulates the NF-κB pathway

Sirtuins are NAD+-dependent deacetylases that facilitate cellular stress response. They include SirT6, which protects genome stability and regulates metabolic homeostasis through gene silencing, and whose loss induces an accelerated aging phenotype directly linked to hyperactivation of the NF-κB pathway. Here we show that SirT6 binds to the H3K9me3-specific histone methyltransferase Suv39h1 and induces monoubiquitination of conserved cysteines in the PRE-SET domain of Suv39h1. Following activation of NF-κB signaling Suv39h1 is released from the IκBα locus, subsequently repressing the NF-κB pathway. We propose that SirT6 attenuates the NF-κB pathway through IκBα upregulation via cysteine monoubiquitination and chromatin eviction of Suv39h1. We suggest a mechanism based on SirT6-mediated enhancement of a negative feedback loop that restricts the NF-κB pathway.This work was supported by the Fundació La Marató de TV3 (20133810 to A.V.), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and competitiveness-MINECO (SAF2011-25860, SAF2014-55964R to A.V.) confunded by FEDER funds/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)-a way to Build Europe, and the Catalan government agency AGAUR (2009-SGR-914 to A.V.) The IDIBELL Proteomics Unit belongs to ProteoRed, PRB2-ISCIII, and is supported by grant PT13/0001/0033 and Cellex Foundation. S.B.B. is the recipient of a 13FIS037 fellowship