The significance of N-acetylation is implied by the existence of a mitochondrial deacetylase, sirtuin 3 (Sirt3), which uses NAD+ to remove acetyl groups from lysine residues, and by the observation that Sirt3 is important in the pathology of a range of degenerative diseases, including cancer, aging, and diabetes (McDonnell et al., 2015). The gene discussed is SIRT3; the disease is cancer.