FARNESYLATION Meaning and
Definition
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Farnesylation is a biochemical process whereby a lipid molecule called a farnesyl group is attached to a protein or enzyme. This post-translational modification involves the covalent addition of a 15-carbon farnesyl isoprenoid unit to the sulfur atom of a cysteine residue, usually located at or near the C-terminus of the target protein. This reaction is catalyzed by an enzyme called farnesyltransferase.
Farnesyltransferase recognizes specific amino acid sequences called CaaX boxes on proteins, where "C" represents cysteine, "a" is an aliphatic amino acid, and "X" is usually methionine, serine, glutamine, or alanine. The farnesyl group contributes hydrophobic properties to the modified protein, allowing it to associate with cellular membranes or specific intracellular compartments.
Farnesylation plays a crucial role in diverse cellular processes, particularly those involving the regulation of protein signaling and membrane trafficking. Proteins that undergo farnesylation often function as molecular switches, where the attachment of the farnesyl group influences their localization, interaction with other proteins, or activity. Examples of proteins that undergo farnesylation include members of the Ras superfamily, which are involved in signal transduction pathways controlling cellular proliferation and differentiation.
The inhibition of farnesylation has been investigated as a potential therapeutic strategy in certain diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders, due to the critical involvement of farnesylated proteins in these pathological processes.
Common Misspellings for FARNESYLATION
- darnesylation
- carnesylation
- varnesylation
- garnesylation
- tarnesylation
- rarnesylation
- fzrnesylation
- fsrnesylation
- fwrnesylation
- fqrnesylation
- faenesylation
- fadnesylation
- fafnesylation
- fatnesylation
- fa5nesylation
- fa4nesylation
- farbesylation
- farmesylation
- farjesylation
- farhesylation
Etymology of FARNESYLATION
The word "farnesylation" is derived from the compound "farnesyl", which itself is derived from the name of the compound isoprenoid farnesol. Farnesol was first isolated from the essential oil of the acacia tree (Acacia farnesiana) by the Italian chemist C. N. Chatelhein in 1867. The suffix "-ation" in "farnesylation" is a common suffix used to indicate the process of transforming or modifying a substance. In the context of molecular biology, farnesylation refers to the addition of a farnesyl group to a protein, a post-translational modification that plays important regulatory roles in cellular processes.
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