Contrasting Effects of Temperature on Human Arylamine <i>N</i>‑Acetyltransferase and Acetyl Coenzyme A Hydrolase Activities

There are two human arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NAT1 and NAT2) that have evolved separately and differ in their substrate specificity and tissue localization. In addition to its acetyltransferase activity, NAT1 can hydrolyze acetyl coenzyme A to coenzyme A in the presence of folate. Here, we show that NAT1 is rapidly inactivated at temperatures above 39 °C whereas NAT2 is more stable. NAT1 acetyltransferase activity is also rapidly lost in whole cells at a rate similar to that of recombinant protein, suggesting it is not protected by intracellular chaperones. By contrast, the hydrolase activity of NAT1 is resistant to heat-induced inactivation, in part because folate stabilizes the protein. Heat generated by mitochondria following the dissipation of the inner membrane potential was sufficient to inactivate NAT1 in whole cells. Within the physiological range of core body temperatures (36.5–37.5 °C), NAT1 acetyltransferase activity decreased by 30% while hydrolase activity increased by >50%. This study demonstrates the thermal regulation of NAT1, but not NAT2, and suggests that NAT1 may switch between an acetyltransferase and a hydrolase within a narrow temperature range in the presence of folate

Sequential transcriptional programs underpin activation of hippocampal stem cells.

Adult neural stem cells exist on a continuum from deep to shallow quiescence that changes in response to injury or aging; however, the transcription factors controlling these stepwise transitions have not been identified. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses of mice with loss of function or increased levels of the essential activation factor Ascl1 reveal that Ascl1 promotes the activation of hippocampal neural stem cells by driving these cells out of deep quiescence, despite its low protein expression in this state. Subsequently, during the transition from deep to shallow quiescence, Ascl1 induces the expression of Mycn, which drives progression through shallow quiescent states toward a proliferating state. Together, these results define the required sequence of transcription factors during hippocampal neural stem cell activation and establish a combinatorial code for classifying these cells into deep and shallow quiescence