N-EPSILON-ACETYL-L-LYSINE

Description

Acetyllysine (or acetylated lysine) is an acetyl-derivative of the amino acid lysine. There are multiple forms of acetyllysine - this article refers to N-ε-acetyl-L-lysine. The other form is N-α-acetyl-Llysine.
In proteins, the acetylation of lysine residues is an important mechanism of epigenetics. It functions by regulating the binding of histones to DNA in nucleosomes and thereby controlling the expression of genes on that DNA. Non-histone proteins are acetylated as well. Unlike the functionally similar methyllysine, acetyllysine does not carry a positive charge on its side chain.
Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) catalyze the addition of acetyl groups from acetyl-CoA onto certain lysine residues of histones and non-histone proteins. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) catalyze the removal of acetyl groups from acetylated lysines.
Acetyllysine can be synthesized from lysine by the selective acetylation of the terminal amine group.

Chemical Properties

white crystalline powder

Uses

N-Epsilon-acetyl-l-lysine is used in the metabolomics study on the combined effect of cocaine and ethanol via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics approach.

Definition

ChEBI: An N6-acyl-L-lysine where the N6-acyl group is specified as acetyl.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Nε-Acetyl-L-lysine (L-AcK) is an R-chain N-acetylated α amino acid used together with other lysine analogues to differentiate and characterized various aminoacylases and regulator 2 (Sir2) enzymes/sirtuins.