Roles of Protein N-Myristoylation and Translational Medicine Applications

Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr. 2015;25(3):259-68. doi: 10.1615/critreveukaryotgeneexpr.2015013978.

Abstract

Protein N-myristoylation is a ubiquitous cotranslational and posttranslational modification catalyzed by myristoyl CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), which attaches myristate, a rare 14-carbon saturated fatty acid, to an N-terminal glycine of some eukaryotic and virus proteins. This protein modification triggers dynamic protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions implicated in diverse physiological processes. This review summarizes the NMT catalytic mechanism and demyristoylation. Of special interest are the primary roles of N-myristoylated protein in signaling, protein targeting, tumorigenesis, apoptosis, virus assembly, and morphology change, as well as the regulation of N-myristoylation and NMT inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Myristic Acid / metabolism*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational*
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Translational Research, Biomedical*

Substances

  • Proteins
  • Myristic Acid