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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
16:33
Detection of Protein Palmitoylation in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons by Immunoprecipitation and Acyl-Biotin Exchange (ABE)
Published on: February 18, 2013
Protein palmitoylation in protozoan parasites
Maria Martha Corvi1, Luc Gerard Berthiaume, Maximiliano Gabriel De Napoli
1Instituto Tecnologico de Chascomus (IIB-INTECH), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de General San Martin, Chascomus, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. mcorvi@intech.gov.ar
Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar Edition)
|May 31, 2011
Summary
Protein palmitoylation, a key modification regulating protein function, is crucial for parasite invasion and motility. This review explores its features and current knowledge in protozoan parasites.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Parasitology
Background:
- Palmitoylation regulates protein localization and function.
- Knowledge of protein palmitoylation in protozoan parasites is limited.
- Palmitoylated proteins in parasites are often involved in invasion and motility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the main features of protein palmitoylation.
- To provide an overview of palmitoylation in protozoan parasites.
- To highlight the role of palmitoylation in parasite invasion and motility.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of protein palmitoylation.
- Analysis of genomic data for palmitoyl-acyl transferases in parasites.
- Review of studies on palmitoylated proteins in E. tenella, P. falciparum, T. gondii, G. lamblia, and T. cruzi.
Main Results:
- Palmitoylation is a reversible modification critical for membrane tethering.
- Palmitoylated proteins in various protozoan parasites are implicated in essential processes like invasion and motility.
- Genes encoding palmitoyl-acyl transferases are present in the genomes of many studied parasites.
Conclusions:
- Protein palmitoylation is vital for key parasitic processes, particularly invasion and motility.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the role and mechanisms of palmitoylation in protozoan parasites.
- The presence of palmitoyl-acyl transferases suggests conserved mechanisms for this modification across parasites.
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