REVIEW article
Front. Mol. Biosci.
Sec. Cellular Biochemistry
Succinylation: Novel Molecular Mechanisms and Prospects for Targeted Therapy in Liver Diseases
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
- 2China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
- 3Hunan University of Chinese Medicine Integrated Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Changsha, China
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Succinylation is a novel post-translational modification involving the attachment of a negatively charged succinyl group to lysine residues, which fundamentally alters the structure and function of substrate proteins. The liver, the metabolic center of the body, is a critical target for succinylation because of its high metabolic activity. Growing evidence suggests that succinylation is a core pathological mechanism that bridges hepatic metabolic dysfunction and disease progression by modulating metabolic enzyme activity, influencing epigenetic status, and remodeling the immune microenvironment. This review aimed to systematically outline the molecular features and regulatory networks of succinylation, dissect its mechanistic roles in major liver diseases, and synthesize current therapeutic strategies, including clinical drug repurposing, small-molecule agents, and traditional Chinese medicinal compounds that target this modification. Collectively, these insights offer a novel theoretical framework and promising therapeutic direction for the management of liver diseases.
Keywords: epigenetic, immune, Liver disease, Metabolism, post-translational modification, succinylation, Therapeutic target
Received: 23 Dec 2025; Accepted: 06 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Zhou, Tian, Zhou, Tan and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Nianhua Tan
Bin Chen
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