Palmitoylation

Palmitoylation is the process in which palmitic acid ( palmitate ) is added to the cysteine ​​residues in proteins. This attachment of fatty acid groups is very specific and is an important posttranslational modification of proteins.

Palmitic acid is produced in the first step in lipogenesis ( fatty acid synthesis ). The chains can be coupled covalently to cysteine ​​residues via thioester compounds. In similar processes taking not only palmitate, but also other fatty acids such as myristate ( myristoylation ), stearic acid or arachidonic acid can be coupled to proteins, which is why S- acylation is an appropriate overarching term for this process. Nevertheless, the formulation palmitoylation is by far more common in the literature. The enzymes involved are unknown for the most part, but it could be a membrane-bound Palmitoylacyltransferase (PAT ) can be isolated, which is involved in this process.

Many cellular and viral proteins that are associated with the cell membrane to be palmitoylated. The function of palmitoylation is essentially used for interaction with the membrane. By controlling this Palmitoylierungsprozesses can also control the transport and localization of proteins. For example, palmitoylated G proteins in lipid rafts are localized or alteration of palmitoylation of PSD -95 results in an altered distribution of this synaptic protein of dendrites to the axon of a nerve cell.

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