This entry refers to the DHHC domain, found in DHHC proteins which are palmitoyltransferases [1]. Palmitoylation or, more specifically S-acylation, plays important roles in the regulation of protein localization, stability, and activity. It is a post-translational protein modification that involves the attachment of palmitic acid to Cys residues through a thioester linkage. Protein acyltransferases (PATs), also known as palmitoyltransferases, catalyze this reaction by transferring the palmitoyl group from palmitoyl-CoA to the thiol group of Cys residues. They are characterized by the presence of a 50-residue-long domain called the DHHC domain, which in most but not all cases is also cysteine-rich and gets its name from a highly conserved DHHC signature tetrapeptide (Asp-His-His-Cys). The Cys residue within the DHHC domain forms a stable acyl intermediate and transfers the acyl chain to the Cys residues of a target protein [2][3]. Some proteins containing a DHHC domain include Drosophila DNZ1 protein [4], Mouse Abl-philin 2 (Aph2) protein [5], Mammalian ZDHHC9 [6], Yeast ankyrin repeat-containing protein AKR1 [7], Yeast Erf2 protein [8], and Arabidopsis thaliana tip growth defective 1 [9].

1: Identification of PSD-95 palmitoylating enzymes. Fukata M, Fukata Y, Adesnik H, Nicoll RA, Bredt DS; Neuron. 2004;44:987-996. PMID:15603741

2: Analysis of substrate specificity of human DHHC protein acyltransferases using a yeast expression system. Ohno Y, Kashio A, Ogata R, Ishitomi A, Yamazaki Y, Kihara A; Mol Biol Cell. 2012;23:4543-4551. PMID:23034182

3: The canonical DHHC motif is not absolutely required for the activity of the yeast S-acyltransferases Swf1 and Pfa4. Gonzalez Montoro A, Chumpen Ramirez S, Valdez Taubas J; J Biol Chem. 2015;290:22448-22459. PMID:26224664

4: The drosophila STAM gene homolog is in a tight gene cluster, and its expression correlates to that of the adjacent gene ial. Mesilaty-Gross S, Reich A, Motro B, Wides R; Gene 1999;231:173-186. PMID:10231582

5: Aph2, a protein with a zf-DHHC motif, interacts with c-Abl and has pro-apoptotic activity. Li B, Cong F, Tan CP, Wang SX, Goff SP; J Biol Chem. 2002;277:28870-28876. PMID:12021275

6: DHHC9 and GCP16 constitute a human protein fatty acyltransferase with specificity for H- and N-Ras. Swarthout JT, Lobo S, Farh L, Croke MR, Greentree WK, Deschenes RJ, Linder ME; J Biol Chem. 2005;280:31141-31148. PMID:16000296

7: The yeast DHHC cysteine-rich domain protein Akr1p is a palmitoyl transferase. Roth AF, Feng Y, Chen L, Davis NG; J Cell Biol. 2002;159:23-28. PMID:12370247

8: Erf2, a Novel Gene Product That Affects the Localization and Palmitoylation of Ras2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Bartels DJ, Mitchell DA, Dong X, Deschenes RJ; Mol Cell Biol 1999;19:6775-6787. PMID:10490616

9: The TIP GROWTH DEFECTIVE1 S-acyl transferase regulates plant cell growth in Arabidopsis. Hemsley PA, Kemp AC, Grierson CS; Plant Cell. 2005;17:2554-2563. PMID:16100337