Acetylation

Acetylation (or in IUPAC nomenclature ethanoylation) describes a reaction that introduces an acetyl functional group into a chemical compound. (Deacetylation is the removal of the acetyl group.)

Process: Addition of an acetyl group to the amino terminus or specific lysine residues of a protein. Function: Can influence protein stability, DNA binding, and gene expression. Histone acetylation, for example, is associated with gene activation.