The biological functions of protein lactylation.

Lactylation is one of the post-translational modifications of proteins, a process in which lactyl residues bind to the lysine residues of proteins. This modification can alter the structure, stability, and function of proteins, which in turn regulates cellular metabolism, aging, and the onset of disease. This review classifies proteins with lactylation effects into histones and non-histone proteins and analyzes their functional roles when lactylation occurs. The in-depth exploration of lactylation is still in its infancy, and many aspects of its regulation, functional significance and therapeutic potential need to be further explored.