Myristoylation

Myristoylation ( N- myristoylation myristylation or called ), the process in which myristic acid ( myristate ) is appended to the N- terminal glycine of proteins. The Annexes to this fatty acid occurs very specific and is an important co-translational mostly but also post-translational modification of proteins.

Myristic acid is irreversibly coupled to a N-terminal glycine of the so-called N- myristoyltransferase. This process takes place usually right after a specific proteolysis, ie Enzymes cleave the protein such that a peptide having an N-terminal glycine produced (often only the initial methionine cleaved ).

N- myristoylation conveys weak, reversible interactions with the cell membrane and other proteins. About the myristoylation can also control the transport and localization of proteins. An example of myristoylated proteins are the Src kinase family, several G- proteins, and others. Myristoylation in plants plays an important role in signal transduction in response to stress.