Silent information regulator (Sir2)-like family deacetylases (also known as sirtuins) are highly conserved proteins and have important roles in the regulation of metabolism, inflammation, cellular survival growth and differentiation. SIRT3 is a member of the sirtuin family of proteins, homologs to the yeast Sir2 protein. Yeast sirtuin proteins are found to regulate epigenetic gene silencing. Sirtuins are NAD-dependent protein ADP-ribosyl transferase which catalyzes the transfer of ADP-ribosyl groups onto target proteins.