Acetyltransferase

Acetyltransferase (or transacetylase) is a type of transferase enzyme that transfers an acetyl group, through a process called acetylation. Acetylation serves as a modification that can profoundly transform the functionality of a protein by modifying 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. The image to the right shows the basic structure of an acetyl group, where R is a variable indicates the remainder of the molecule to which the acetyl group is attached.

Structure
The 3D structure predictions of histone, choline, and serotonin acetyltransferases are shown to the side of this page. The 3D structure of these proteins are essential for interactions between them and their substrates. Alterations to the 3D structures of these enzymes could result in the chemical modifications not being completed.

Additional examples include:


 * Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase