Top Chemistry Journal Highlights Miller School Discovery Linking Ketone Metabolism to Cell Signaling
Research led by Zhipeng Wang, Ph.D., uncovers a previously unknown mechanism by which ketone bodies regulate protein function and cellular signaling.
The highly respected chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie recently published a paper by Desai Sethi Urology Institute’s (DSUI) Zhipeng Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor of urology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, that uncovers a previously unrecognized link between ketone metabolism and cysteine-based protein regulation.
The findings establish an alternative way in which ketone bodies profoundly affect human health by demonstrating that ketone metabolism can drive novel changes (post-translational modification) in cysteine, an amino acid needed for human growth and survival.
The research’s potential impact is huge, according to Nima Sharifi, M.D., scientific director and professor of urology at DSUI.
“Dr. Wang and his team have identified a new way in which ketones can affect cell signaling. It’s a beginning of an entirely new direction for this field,” Dr. Sharifi said.
How Ketone Bodies Act as Direct Regulators of Cellular Signaling
The liver increases production of ketone bodies during periods of low carbohydrate availability, such as when fasting, exercising or following a ketogenic diet.
Ketone bodies are not only energy substrates, but also metabolic regulators that support brain activity, suppress inflammation, modulate immune responses, fuel heart efficiency and reshape cell metabolism, according to Dr. Wang.
The research team used advanced chemistry approaches to establish a novel link between ketone metabolism and cysteine-based protein regulation.
“Our findings establish ketone bodies as direct regulators of cysteine reactivity and oxidation–reduction (redox) control,” Dr. Wang said.
Positioning the Miller School at the Forefront of Metabolism and Redox Biology Research
Reactive species of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur facilitate redox control in many essential cellular processes, but excessive oxidant levels are linked to aging and disease.
“Publication in Angewandte Chemie reflects the broad chemical and biochemical significance of this discovery at the interface of metabolism, protein chemistry and redox biology,” Dr. Wang said.
DSUI and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth—University of Miami Health System, supported the research.
Angewandte Chemie, a journal of the German Chemical Society, has an impact factor of 16.9.
Tags: cancer research, clinical trials, Desai Sethi Urology Institute, Dr. Nima Sharifi, Dr. Zhipeng Wang, Sylverster Comprehensive Cancer Center