Cao · Genes & development 2015 · in vitro structural biology study · n=?

Structural basis for allosteric, substrate-dependent stimulation of SIRT1 activity by resveratrol.

Cited 256 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

In vitro structural biology study with no human clinical or in vivo data.

PubMed 26109052 · doi:10.1101/gad.265462.115 · record verified 2026-08-30

What was done

The authors solved the crystal structure of SIRT1 in complex with resveratrol and a fluorogenic 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC)-containing peptide to determine the structural basis of SIRT1 allosteric stimulation.

What was found

The structure revealed three bound resveratrol molecules. Two of these molecules mediate the interaction between the AMC peptide and the N-terminal domain (NTD) of SIRT1, which is responsible for tighter peptide binding and stimulation of SIRT1 deacetylase activity. The abstract reports no numerical values.

Why it matters

These findings provide a structural explanation for how resveratrol stimulates SIRT1 in assays utilizing fluorogenic substrates, providing mechanistic insight for the design of authentic SIRT1-activating compounds.

Limits

This is an in vitro structural study with no cellular or in vivo measurements. The observed mechanism relies on an artificial AMC-conjugated peptide substrate, leaving open whether similar activation occurs with native physiological substrates. No quantitative binding affinities or resolution metrics are provided in the abstract.

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