Abstract
3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) as a very important metabolite occurs in animals, bacteria and plants. It is well known that in animals, 3-HB is formed as a product of the normal metabolism of fatty acid oxidation and can therefore be used as an energy source in the absence of sufficient blood glucose. In microorganisms, 3-HB mainly serves as a substrate for the synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate, which is a reserve material. Recent studies show that in plants, 3-HB acts as a regulatory molecule that most likely influences the expression of genes involved in DNA methylation, thereby altering DNA methylation levels. Additionally, in animals, 3-HB is not only an intermediate metabolite, but also an important regulatory molecule that can influence gene expression, lipid metabolism, neuronal function, and overall metabolic rate. Some of these effects are the direct effects of 3-HB itself, while others are indirect effects, regulated by the metabolites into which 3-HB is converted. One of the most important regulatory functions of 3-HB is the inhibition of the activity of histone deacetylases and thus the epigenetic regulation of many genes. Due to the number of functions of this compound, it also shows promising therapeutic properties.
Highlights
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3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) is a very important metabolite, and a regulatory molecule that occurs in bacteria, animals, humans and, according to recent scientific reports, in plants
When the process of deriving energy from fatty acids is carried out very intensively, there is an accumulation of ketone bodies in the organism, which can lead to the dangerous diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
Summary
3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) is a very important metabolite, and a regulatory molecule that occurs in bacteria, animals, humans and, according to recent scientific reports, in plants. Research on isotopically labeled 3-HB shows that it can be used as a substrate for the synthesis of glutamine and other amino acids [32] Another important aspect of the regulatory function of 3-hydroxybutyrate is its effect on the metabolism of reactive oxygen species and the maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis. The exact mechanisms and their regulation involved in the addition and removal of hydroxybutyrylated lysine residues are not known, but it appears that such histone modification may play an important role in regulating gene expression during starvation and other processes associated with the increase in 3-HB concentration in the body [44]. Preservation of the pool of cytoplasmic NAD+, a cofactor of many important enzymes, may have important cellular effects during the metabolism of 3-HB [1]
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