Abstract
Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a key upstream regulator of lipid metabolism; however, the molecular mechanisms by which SIRT1 regulates milk fat synthesis in dairy goats remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory roles of SIRT1 in modulating lipid metabolism in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) and its impact on the adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) promoter activity using RNA interference (RNAi) and gene overexpression techniques. The results showed that SIRT1 is significantly upregulated during lactation compared to the dry period. Additionally, SIRT1 knockdown notably increased the expressions of genes related to fatty acid synthesis (SREBP1, SCD1, FASN, ELOVL6), triacylglycerol (TAG) production (DGAT2, AGPAT6), and lipid droplet formation (PLIN2). Consistent with the transcriptional changes, SIRT1 knockdown significantly increased the intracellular contents of TAG and cholesterol and the lipid droplet abundance in the GMECs, while SIRT1 overexpression had the opposite effects. Furthermore, the co-overexpression of SIRT1 and Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) led to a more pronounced increase in ATGL promoter activity, and the ability of SIRT1 to enhance ATGL promoter activity was nearly abolished when the FOXO1 binding sites (FKH1 and FKH2) were mutated, indicating that SIRT1 enhances the transcriptional activity of ATGL via the FKH element in the ATGL promoter. Collectively, our data reveal that SIRT1 enhances the transcriptional activity of ATGL through the FOXO1 binding sites located in the ATGL promoter, thereby regulating lipid metabolism. These findings provide novel insights into the role of SIRT1 in fatty acid metabolism in dairy goats.