N-Terminal Acetylation

Also called N-acetylation · acetyl group · Ac-

N-terminal acetylation replaces the free amino group at the N-terminus with an acetyl group (Ac-). This modification protects the peptide from N-terminal exopeptidase degradation and can shift charge and membrane affinity. Many endogenous bioactive peptides are naturally acetylated; it is also used to stabilize synthetic peptides.