Back to discover

Protein / target

NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin-2

Encoded bySIRT2Q8IXJ6Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Structure with Ligand
1
Research papers

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Histone H4K16 deacetylase activity, NAD-dependent

Strongest disease association

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Via encoding gene SIRT2 · Genetic evidence · score 0.16

Research activity

Emerging research

1 papers · latest 1999

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, which deacetylates internal lysines on histone and alpha-tubulin as well as many other proteins such as key transcription factors.

View complete UniProt function annotation

NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, which deacetylates internal lysines on histone and alpha-tubulin as well as many other proteins such as key transcription factors (PubMed:12620231, PubMed:16648462, PubMed:18249187, PubMed:18332217, PubMed:18995842, PubMed:20543840, PubMed:20587414, PubMed:21081649, PubMed:21726808, PubMed:21949390, PubMed:22014574, PubMed:22771473, PubMed:23468428, PubMed:23908241, PubMed:24177535, PubMed:24681946, PubMed:24769394, PubMed:24940000). Participates in the modulation of multiple and diverse biological processes such as cell cycle control, genomic integrity, microtubule dynamics, cell differentiation, metabolic networks, and autophagy (PubMed:12620231, PubMed:16648462, PubMed:18249187, PubMed:18332217, PubMed:18995842, PubMed:20543840, PubMed:20587414, PubMed:21081649, PubMed:21726808, PubMed:21949390, PubMed:22014574, PubMed:22771473, PubMed:23468428, PubMed:23908241, PubMed:24177535, PubMed:24681946, PubMed:24769394, PubMed:24940000). Plays a major role in the control of cell cycle progression and genomic stability (PubMed:12697818, PubMed:16909107, PubMed:17488717, PubMed:17726514, PubMed:19282667, PubMed:23468428). Functions in the antephase checkpoint preventing precocious mitotic entry in response to microtubule stress agents, and hence allowing proper inheritance of chromosomes (PubMed:12697818, PubMed:16909107, PubMed:17488717, PubMed:17726514, PubMed:19282667, PubMed:23468428). Positively regulates the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) ubiquitin ligase complex activity by deacetylating CDC20 and FZR1, then allowing progression through mitosis (PubMed:22014574). Associates both with chromatin at transcriptional start sites (TSSs) and enhancers of active genes (PubMed:23468428). Plays a role in cell cycle and chromatin compaction through epigenetic modulation of the regulation of histone H4 'Lys-20' methylation (H4K20me1) during early mitosis (PubMed:23468428). Specifically deacetylates histone H4 at 'Lys-16' (H4K16ac) between the G2/M transition and metaphase enabling H4K20me1 deposition by KMT5A leading to ulterior levels of H4K20me2 and H4K20me3 deposition throughout cell cycle, and mitotic S-phase progression (PubMed:23468428). Deacetylates KMT5A modulating KMT5A chromatin localization during the mitotic stress response (PubMed:23468428). Also deacetylates histone H3 at 'Lys-57' (H3K56ac) during the mitotic G2/M transition (PubMed:20587414). Upon bacterium Listeria monocytogenes infection, deacetylates 'Lys-18' of histone H3 in a receptor tyrosine kinase MET- and PI3K/Akt-dependent manner, thereby inhibiting transcriptional activity and promoting late stages of listeria infection (PubMed:23908241). During oocyte meiosis progression, may deacetylate histone H4 at 'Lys-16' (H4K16ac) and alpha-tubulin, regulating spindle assembly and chromosome alignment by influencing microtubule dynamics and kinetochore function (PubMed:24940000). Deacetylates histone H4 at 'Lys-16' (H4K16ac) at the VEGFA promoter and thereby contributes to regulate expression of VEGFA, a key regulator of angiogenesis (PubMed:24940000). Deacetylates alpha-tubulin at 'Lys-40' and hence controls neuronal motility, oligodendroglial cell arbor projection processes and proliferation of non-neuronal cells (PubMed:18332217, PubMed:18995842). Phosphorylation at Ser-368 by a G1/S-specific cyclin E-CDK2 complex inactivates SIRT2-mediated alpha-tubulin deacetylation, negatively regulating cell adhesion, cell migration and neurite outgrowth during neuronal differentiation (PubMed:17488717). Deacetylates PARD3 and participates in the regulation of Schwann cell peripheral myelination formation during early postnatal development and during postinjury remyelination (PubMed:21949390). Involved in several cellular metabolic pathways (PubMed:20543840, PubMed:21726808, PubMed:24769394). Plays a role in the regulation of blood glucose homeostasis by deacetylating and stabilizing phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase PCK1 activity in response to low nutrient availability (PubMed:21726808). Acts as a key regulator in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) by deacetylating and activating the glucose-6-phosphate G6PD enzyme, and therefore, stimulates the production of cytosolic NADPH to counteract oxidative damage (PubMed:24769394). Maintains energy homeostasis in response to nutrient deprivation as well as energy expenditure by inhibiting adipogenesis and promoting lipolysis (PubMed:20543840). Attenuates adipocyte differentiation by deacetylating and promoting FOXO1 interaction to PPARG and subsequent repression of PPARG-dependent transcriptional activity (PubMed:20543840). Plays a role in the regulation of lysosome-mediated degradation of protein aggregates by autophagy in neuronal cells (PubMed:20543840). Deacetylates FOXO1 in response to oxidative stress or serum deprivation, thereby negatively regulating FOXO1-mediated autophagy (PubMed:20543840). Deacetylates a broad range of transcription factors and co-regulators regulating target gene expression. Deacetylates transcriptional factor FOXO3 stimulating the ubiquitin ligase SCF(SKP2)-mediated FOXO3 ubiquitination and degradation (By similarity). Deacetylates HIF1A and therefore promotes HIF1A degradation and inhibition of HIF1A transcriptional activity in tumor cells in response to hypoxia (PubMed:24681946). Deacetylates RELA in the cytoplasm inhibiting NF-kappaB-dependent transcription activation upon TNF stimulation (PubMed:21081649). Inhibits transcriptional activation by deacetylating p53/TP53 and EP300 (PubMed:18249187, PubMed:18995842). Also deacetylates EIF5A (PubMed:22771473). In addition to protein deacetylase activity, also acts as a protein-lysine deacylase by recognizing other acyl groups: catalyzes removal of N(6)-benzoyl (benzoyl) and N(6)-methacryl (methacryl) acyl groups from lysine residues, leading to histone debenzoylation and demethacrylation, respectively (PubMed:30154464, PubMed:34961760). Functions as a negative regulator on oxidative stress-tolerance in response to anoxia-reoxygenation conditions (PubMed:24769394). Plays a role as tumor suppressor (PubMed:22014574). In addition to protein deacetylase activity, also has activity toward long-chain fatty acyl groups and mediates protein-lysine demyristoylation and depalmitoylation of target proteins, such as ARF6 and KRAS, thereby regulating their association with membranes (PubMed:25704306, PubMed:29239724, PubMed:32103017)

Subcellular location

NucleusCytoplasm, perinuclear regionCytoplasmCytoplasm, cytoskeletonCytoplasm, cytoskeleton, microtubule organizing center, centrosomeCytoplasm, cytoskeleton, microtubule organizing center, centrosome, centrioleCytoplasm, cytoskeleton, spindleMidbodyChromosomePerikaryonCell projectionCell projection, growth coneMyelin membrane
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (91)

Domains & features

Deacetylase sirtuin-type

Gene Ontology

  • Ccentriole
  • Ccentrosome
  • Cchromatin silencing complex
  • Cchromosome
  • Cchromosome, telomeric region
  • Ccytoplasm
  • Ccytosol
  • Cglial cell projection
  • Cgrowth cone
  • Cheterochromatin
  • Cjuxtaparanode region of axon
  • Clateral loop

389 aa · 43 kDa · 5 isoforms

Biological roles

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Receptor tyrosine kinase signallingUniProtCell migrationUniProtCell-cycle regulationUniProtLipid & lipoprotein metabolismGOTranscriptional regulationUniProt · GOImmune signallingUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Receptor tyrosine kinase signalling

  • ·NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, which deacetylates internal lysines on histone and al…

Cell migration

  • ·NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, which deacetylates internal lysines on histone and al…

Cell-cycle regulation

  • ·NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, which deacetylates internal lysines on histone and al…

Lipid & lipoprotein metabolism

  • ·positive regulation of fatty acid biosynthetic process

Transcriptional regulation

  • ·NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, which deacetylates internal lysines on histone and al…
  • ·DNA-binding transcription factor binding
  • ·DNA-templated transcription
  • ·epigenetic regulation of gene expression

Immune signalling

  • ·NAD-dependent protein deacetylase, which deacetylates internal lysines on histone and al…
  • ·innate immune response
  • ·negative regulation of fat cell differentiation

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene SIRT2

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene SIRT2 that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
0.26Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.12

Diabetes Mellitus
0.19Preliminary

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.11

Neoplasms
0.14Preliminary

Literature evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.12 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
0.14Preliminary

Literature evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.11 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Parkinson's Disease
0.14Preliminary

Literature evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.11 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

View evidence synthesis (5)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Limited support
0.26
agreement 0.120.40
Genetic59%Literature41%

Open Targets aggregate 0.12 · 2 independent evidence families

Diabetes MellitusPreliminary
0.19
agreement 0.050.33
Genetic85%Literature15%

Open Targets aggregate 0.11 · 2 independent evidence families

NeoplasmsPreliminary
0.14
agreement 0.000.41
Literature100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.12 · 1 independent evidence family · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Carcinoma, HepatocellularPreliminary
0.14
agreement 0.000.41
Literature100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.11 · 1 independent evidence family · no direct causal or clinical evidence

Parkinson's DiseasePreliminary
0.14
agreement 0.000.41
Literature100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.11 · 1 independent evidence family · no direct causal or clinical evidence

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 20.12
Neoplasms0.12
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular0.11
Parkinson's Disease0.11
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung0.11
Alzheimer's Disease0.11
Infections0.11
Diabetes Mellitus0.11
Melanoma0.10

Tractability

Small moleculesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (structure with ligand and high-quality ligand) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

AntibodiesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (go cc high conf) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (literature and uniprot ubiquitination) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (10)
SM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · High-Quality PocketSM · Druggable FamilyAB · GO CC high confPR · LiteraturePR · UniProt UbiquitinationPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Safety-related annotations

hepatotoxicityClinPGxregulation of catalytic activityToxCast

Terms indexed against this target in Open Targets' safety data, with their datasource. These are annotations, not causal claims: the direction of effect (whether activation or inhibition is implicated), species and evidence strength are not captured here, so an entry does not mean that modulating this target is known to cause that condition.

Research activity

1 papers · to 1999

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Recent

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.

Related family literature

7

Papers about “Sirtuins” — a broader family this protein belongs to. Shown as context; not counted as papers specifically about this protein.

Regulation of SIRT1 and Its Roles in Inflammation.

Yang Y · Frontiers in immunology · 2022

via Sirtuins

The sirtuin family in health and disease.

Wu QJ · Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2022

via Sirtuins

NAD<sup>+</sup> homeostasis in renal health and disease.

Ralto KM · Nature reviews. Nephrology · 2020

via Sirtuins

Europe PMC literature, reached through curated HGNC family membership. Membership is a taxonomic relationship — it does not imply this protein participates in every mechanism these papers discuss.