NAT

The arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs; EC 2.3.1.5) are  Phase II Enzymes that catalyze the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl coenzyme A to  aromatic amine,  heterocyclic amine or hydrazine substrates. Acetylation catalyzed by NATs is an important biotransformation pathway for many drugs and cancer causing agents that we are exposed to on a daily basis.

There are three human NAT genes. Two encode functional proteins and are designated NAT1 and NAT2, and the third is a pseudogene (NATP1) that encodes a truncated nonfunctional protein. All are located on the short arm of chromosome 8 and have been mapped to 8p21.3–23.1, a region commonly deleted in human cancers. Both functional NATs are encoded by single intronless exons and the protein-coding regions share an 87% nucleotide homology and are 870 base pairs in length. NAT1 and NAT2 are cytosolic proteins having an approximate molecular mass of 33 kDa and each consists of 290 amino acids,...