Zinc Finger, DHHC-Type Containing Protein 18 (ZDHHC18)

ZDHHC18 belongs to the DHHC palmitoyltransferase family. ERF2/ZDHHC9 subfamily. Contains 1 DHHC-type zinc finger. The DHHC domain is required for palmitoyltransferase activity. In molecular biology the DHHC domain is a protein domain that acts as an enzyme, which adds a palmitoyl chemical group to proteins in order to anchor them to cell membranes. The DHHC domain was discovered in 1999 and named after a conserved sequence motif found in its protein sequence. Roth and colleagues showed that the yeast Akr1p protein could palmitoylate Yck2p in vitro and inferred that the DHHC domain defined a large family of palmitoyltransferases. In mammals twenty three members of this family have been identified and their substrate specificities investigated.Several members of the family have been implicated in human diseases.