************************************************************ * Acyltransferases ChoActase / COT / CPT family signatures * ************************************************************ A number of eukaryotic acetyltransferases can be, on the basis of sequence similarities, grouped together into a family. These enzymes are: - Choline o-acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6) (ChoAcTase), an enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine [1]. - Carnitine o-acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.7) [2]. - Peroxisomal carnitine octanoyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.-) (COT), a fatty acid beta-oxidation pathway enzyme which is involved in the transport of medium- chain acyl-coenzyme A's from peroxisome to mitochondria [3]. - Mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferases I and II (EC 2.3.1.21) (CPT), enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism and transport [4]. These three enzymes share many regions of sequence similarities. As signature patterns we selected two of these regions. The first one, located in the N-terminal section of these enzymes is characterized by the presence of three [LIVM]-P dipeptides. The second region, located in the central part of these enzymes is characterized by the conservation of a number of charged residues including an histidine which probably plays a crucial role in the catalytic mechanism [5]. -Consensus pattern: L-P-x-[LIVMP]-P-[LIVM]-P-x-[LIVM]-x-[DENQAS]-[ST]-[LIVM]- x(2)-Y -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL. -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE. -Consensus pattern: R-[FYW]-x-D-[KA]-[ST]-[LIVMFY]-x-[LIVMFY](2)-x(3)-[DNS]- [GS]-x(6)-[ED]-H [H is a probable active site residue] -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL. -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE. -Last update: June 1994 / Text revised. [ 1] Berrard S., Brice A., Lottspeich F., Braun A., Barde Y.-A., Mallet J. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84:9280-9284(1987). [ 2] Kispal G., Tomcsanyi T., Sumegi B., Bock I., Gajdos G., Dietmayer K., Sandor A. J. Biol. Chem. 268:1824-1829(1993). [ 3] Chatterjee B., Song C.S., Kim J.-M., Roy A.K. Biochemistry 27:9000-9006(1988). [ 4] Esser V., Britton C.H., Weis B.C., Foster D.W., McGarry J.D. J. Biol. Chem. 268:5817-5822(1993). [ 5] Schmalix W., Bandlow W. J. Biol. Chem. 268:27428-27439(1993).