Beta-hydroxybutyrate enhances mitochondrial energy metabolism through histone beta-hydroxybutyrylation
Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) regulates gene expression through modulation of post-translational histone modifications, including histone beta-hydroxybutyrylation. In human renal tubular epithelial cells challenged with hydrogen peroxide, pretreatment with sodium beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBNa) significantly upregulated global histone beta-hydroxybutyrylation marks, specifically enhancing beta-hydroxybutyrylation at histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4bhb) compared to hydrogen peroxide treatment alone. To investigate whether BHB enhances mitochondrial energy metabolism via this epigenetic mechanism, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) specifically targeting H3K4bhb.