Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (17): 4430-4445.doi: 10.12307/2026.131

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Effects and mechanisms of palmitoyl acyltransferase ZDHHC5 in tissue homeostasis and diseases

Ji Kaizhong, Kong Yihao, Zhi Yiqing, Jin Yingying, Chen Jianquan   

  1. 1FSchool of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang Province, China
  • Received:2025-05-06 Accepted:2025-08-07 Online:2026-06-18 Published:2025-12-03
  • Contact: Chen Jianquan, PhD, Professor, Doctoral supervisor, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang Province, China
  • About author:Ji Kaizhong, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang Province, China Kong Yihao, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang Province, China Ji Kaizhong and Kong Yihao contributed equally to this work.
  • Supported by:
    the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program, No. 202313021029

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Protein S-palmitoylation is a reversible post-translational lipid modification that directly influences protein stability, subcellular localization and interactions with other molecules. It is catalyzed in mammalian cells by 23-24 palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs) that share the common Asp-His-His-Cys (DHHC) motif. Recent studies have highlighted the important role of S-palmitoylation in disease, and increasing studies have attempted to explore new therapeutic potentials in diverse diseases, driving efforts to target palmitoylation and its catalytic enzymes. Among these, palmitoyl transferase 5 (ZDHHC5) is a more specific member of the palmitoyl group transferase family, which is a plasma membrane-localized PAT that palmitoylates a wide variety of substrates, thereby influencing multiple biological processes.
OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of the biochemical process of palmitoylation and its detection methods, to elucidate the role of ZDHHC5 in physiological processes such as cytoplasmic division, synapse formation and plasticity, and programmed cell death, and to summarize recent research progress on ZDHHC5 in cancer, respiratory diseases and other pathologies.
METHODS: The first author conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and CNKI databases for relevant literature on ZDHHC5 research in recent years, using “ZDHHC5, DHHC5 or palmitoyl transferase 5” as the search terms in English and “palmitoyl transferase 5” as the search term in Chinese. The search period was set from January 2011 to March 2025. After screening the retrieved literature for relevance and quality, the remaining literature was used to analyze the role and mechanism of ZDHHC5 in tissue homeostasis and diseases. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: ZDHHC5, a key palmitoyl transferase that dynamically modifies protein palmitoylation, regulates cell division and differentiation, ion flux regulation, synapse formation and plasticity, autophagy and programmed cell death, intracellular membrane transport, cell adhesion, oligodendrocyte and myelin sheath formation, and immune signaling regulation, either by direct modification of key substrates, such as PCDH7, TrpM7, δ-catenin, NCX1, NOD2, and MLKL, or by formation of a complex with proteins, such as GOLGA7. Under pathological conditions, the aberrant expression of ZDHHC5 may promote the development of glioma, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and other cancers by affecting the palmitoylation levels of EZH2, SSTR5, and INCENP and other proteins. In addition, ZDHHC5 promotes the occurrence and development of various diseases such as respiratory disease, schizophrenia, heart disease, inflammation, fatty liver, diabetic retinopathy, suggesting that its aberrant function may play an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. Future studies should focus on the substrate-specific recognition mechanism of ZDHHC5 and the regulation of its function under different physiological and pathological conditions. Meanwhile, the development of small molecule inhibitors targeting ZDHHC5 and the integrated application of interdisciplinary technologies will provide a new direction for precision therapeutic strategies based on palmitoylated modifications, which will ultimately promote the diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.


Key words: post-translational modification, S-palmitoylation, palmitoyl acyltransferase, ZDHHC5, tissue homeostasis, disease, review


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