The NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT2 regulates T cell differentiation involved in tumor immune response

Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, regulates multiple biologic and pathologic processes including mitosis, genomic integrity, cell homeostasis and tumorigenesis. However, the role of SIRT2 in the immune response to cancer remains largely elusive. In this study, we found significantly lower expression of SIRT2 in peripheral T lymphocytes from breast cancer patients when compared to normal individuals. Moreover, SIRT2 levels positively correlated with CD8(+) effector memory T (T(EM)) cells in breast cancer patients. In keeping with these findings, altered T cells differentiation manifested as decreased T(EM) cells and increased naive T cells were observed in Sirt2 deficient mice. The upregulation of CD8(+) T(EM) by SIRT2 might attribute to the activation of aerobic oxidation as well as the inhibition of GSK3β acetylation in CD8(+) T cells. Taken together, these results suggest that SIRT2 participate in tumor immune response by regulating T cell differentiation, which may provide novel insight for tumor prevention and immune therapy.