Background information
FNTA, also known as CAAX farnesyltransferase (FTase), attaches a farnesyl group from farnesyl pyrophosphate to cysteine residues at the fourth position from the C terminus of proteins that end in the so-called CAAX box, where C is cysteine, A is usually but not always an aliphatic amino acid, and X is typically methionine or serine. This type of posttranslational modification provides a mechanism for membrane localization of proteins that lack a transmembrane domain. This enzyme has the remarkable property of farnesylating peptides as short as four residues in length that conform to the CAAX consensus sequence. FNTA is also a specific cytoplasmic interactor of the transforming growth factor-beta and activin type I receptors. It is likely to be a key component of the signaling pathway which involves p21ras, an important substrate for farnesyltransferase.
