Succinylation modification in diabetes and diabetic complications: Mechanisms and functions (Review)

Despite adequate glycaemic control, diabetic complications frequently progress, underscoring how persistently protein post‑translational modifications (PTMs) contribute to disease pathology by sustaining 'metabolic memory'. Lysine succinylation, a PTM derived from the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate succinyl‑CoA and primarily regulated by the desuccinylase sirtuin 5 (SIRT5), has emerged as a key metabolic modulator. By introducing a marked shift in lysine charge, succinylation can notably influence enzyme activity and protein stability. The present review integrates current evidence associating the disruption of the succinyl‑CoA/SIRT5 regulatory axis with impaired metabolic flexibility in diabetes. The mechanisms by which pathological hypersuccinylation compromises mitochondrial bioenergetics, particularly by inhibiting uncoupling protein 1 in obesity and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in diabetic cardiomyopathy, are described, and its implications in neurodegeneration within diabetic retinopathy through modification of optineurin are elucidated. The present review also discusses the mechanistic role of epigenetic dysregulation, highlighting how activation of the lysine acetyltransferase 2A/H3K79 succinylation/spermidine/spermine N1‑acetyltransferase family member 2 pathway promotes ferroptosis and inflammation in diabetic kidney disease. The context‑dependent duality of SIRT5 function is also examined; although key in limiting lipotoxicity in cardiomyocytes and podocytes, SIRT5 can paradoxically aggravate glomerular fibrosis in renal mesangial cells by suppressing p53 signalling. The present findings suggested that re‑establishing succinylation homeostasis represents not simply a metabolic correction but a strategic therapeutic objective. However, given the tissue‑specific and frequently opposing effects of SIRT5, future therapeutic approaches should aim to emphasize organ‑targeted delivery rather than systemic modulation to minimize off‑target toxicity while effectively addressing diabetic complications.