Role of N-myristoyltransferase in Cellular Differentiation and Function.

蛋白质是细胞中基因的功能输出。一般来说，蛋白质调节细胞的生理功能。根据细胞的生理需要，蛋白质的结构会发生变化，使其具有活性或不具有活性。蛋白质结构的改变被称为蛋白质修饰，各种分子附着在蛋白质上以修饰它们。将脂肪（脂肪酸）分子添加到蛋白质中是一种这样的蛋白质修饰，其改变了蛋白质在细胞中的定位和活化。这些油脂蛋白质在细胞功能中起着重要作用。脂肪酸加成到蛋白质是由酰基转移酶催化。拟议的研究项目旨在了解一种称为N-肉豆蔻酸转移酶（NMT）的特定酰基转移酶的作用，该酶将脂肪分子（肉豆蔻酸，14碳脂肪酸）连接到调节细胞分化和功能的重要信号蛋白。

Proteins are functional output of genes in a cell. In general, proteins regulate physiological functions of a cell. Depending on the physiological need of the cell, structure of proteins alters to render them active or inactive. Change in protein structure is called protein modification and various molecules attach to proteins to modify them. Addition of a fat (fatty acid) molecule to protein is one such protein modification that alters its localization and activation in a cell. These greasy proteins play important role in cellular function. Fatty acid addition to protein is catalyzed by acyltransferases. Proposed research project aims at understanding the role of one specific kind of acyltransferase called N-myristolatransferase (NMT) that attaches fat molecule (myristic acid, 14 carbon fatty acid) to important signaling proteins that regulate cellular differentiation and function.