| SIRT1 is the mammalian homologue of sir2 (silent information regulator 2) in yeast, which is NAD-dependent protein deacetylase. Members of this evolutionarily conserved family include five homologues in yeast (Sir2 and Hstl - 4) and seven in mammals (SIR T1 - 7), with key roles in cellular processes such as gene expression, apoptosis, metabolism and ageing. The founding member, yeast Sir2, was originally identified as a trans-acting factor involved in transcriptional repression. Now it is well established that Sir2 deacetylase activity is required for regulation of the DNA repair, transcriptional activity, cell cycle. In addition to silencing, Sir2 activity is linked to lifespan extension in yeast, worms and flies. SIRT1, the most extensively studied mammalian Sir2 orthologue, negatively regulates damage-responsive Forkhead transcription factors and p53, promoting cell survival under stress.Evidence implicating sirtuins in lifespan extension has motivated the hunt for small molecule sirtuin activators that increase lifespan in yeast, with the potential promise of identifying such compounds for human use. Resveratrol was reported to be a general sirtuin activator among several putative Sir2 and SIRT1 activating compounds in a high-throughput screen. Resveratrol occurs naturally in grapes and a variety of medicinal plants. In plants, resveratrol functions as a phytoalexin that protects against fungal infections. Several biological actions of resveratrol have been...
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