Huntingtin interacting protein 14 is an oncogenic human protein: palmitoyl acyltransferase.

Protein palmitoyltransferases (PATs) represent an exciting new target for anticancer drug design due to their pivotal roles in the subcellular localization of a number of oncogenes. We show that the Huntingtin interacting protein 14 (HIP14) is a PAT with a preference for the farnesyl-dependent palmitoylation motif found in H- and N-RAS. Characterization of HIP14 in mouse cells has revealed that it has the ability to induce colony formation in cell culture, anchorage-independent growth, and tumors in mice. Activity of the enzyme and its ability to transform cells is dependent on critical residues in the active site of the enzyme.