The yeast transcriptional repressor Sir2p silences gene expression from the telomeric,
rDNA, and silent mating-type loci and may play a role in higher order processes such as
aging. Sir2p is the founding member of a large family of NAD-dependent deacetylase
enzymes, named the sirtuins. These proteins are conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes,
but most remain uncharacterized, including all seven human sirtuins. A reverse chemical
genetic approach would be useful in identifying the biological function of sirtuins in a wide …