An acetyltransferase (also referred to as a transacetylase) is any of a class of transferase enzymes that transfers an acetyl group in a reaction called acetylation. In biological organisms, post-translational modification of a protein via acetylation can profoundly transform its functionality by altering various properties like hydrophobicity, solubility, and surface attributes. These alterations have the potential to influence the protein's conformation and its interactions with substrates, cofactors, and other macromolecules.
Types of acetyltransferases +Table 1: Types of acetyltransferases found in humansAcetyltransferasesSubstrateGeneChromosome locus in humansGene groupAbbreviationHistone acetyltransferaseLysine residues of histonesHAT12q31.1Lysine acetyltransferasesHATCholine acetyltransferaseCholineCHAT10q11.23NAChATSerotonin N-acetyltransferaseSerotoninAANAT17q25.1GCN5-related N-acetyltransferasesAANATNatA acetyltransferaseN-terminus of various proteins as they emerge from the ribosomeNAA154q31.1Armadillo-like helical domain containing N-alpha-acetyltransferase subunitsNatANatB acetyltransferasePeptides starting with Met-Asp/Glu/Asn/GlnNAA2512q24.13N-alpha-acetyltransferase subunits of microRNA protein-coding host genesNatB
Additional examples of acetyltransferases found in nature include: Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase
Structure The predicted three-dimensional structures of histone, choline, and serotonin acetyltransferases are shown below. As with all enzymes, the structures of acetyltransferases are essential for interactions between them and their substrates; alterations to the structures of these enzymes often result in a loss of enzymatic activity.
See also Acyltransferase Acetylation
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