Details for: NAT16

Gene ID: 375607

Gene Type:  Protein-coding  - A gene that serves as a template for producing a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which is then translated into a functional protein.

Symbol: NAT16

Ensembl ID: ENSG00000167011

Description: N-acetyltransferase 16 (putative)

Cell Significance Landscape

Associated with

  • Acyltransferase activity, transferring groups other than amino-acyl groups
    (GO:0016747)

Significant Cells

Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores for the chosen context(s)

  • retina horizontal cell CL0000745
    CSI 3.7
    rCSI 5.63%
    PRS 98.06
  • melanocyte of skin CL1000458
    CSI 2.44
    rCSI 3.32%
    PRS 87.98
  • H2 horizontal cell CL0004218
    CSI 1.33
    rCSI 6.63%
    PRS 96.69
  • H1 horizontal cell CL0004217
    CSI 1.23
    rCSI 4.87%
    PRS 96.25

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this specific cell.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.
Network Configuration

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Legend:
  • Query Gene
  • Node Color (Target Cell CSI, relative to current network):
    • Very High
    • High
    • Medium
    • Low
    • Very Low
    • CSI N/A
  • Node Size: Proportional to Target Cell CSI magnitude
  • STRING PPI Edge
  • Shared Pathway Edge (ONTOLOGY)

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Other Information

This section provides additional information about the gene, including a description generated by an AI language model and details about associated proteins.

## Summary N-acetyltransferase 16 ([NAT16](/details-gene/375607)) is a putative protein-coding gene located on chromosome 7q22.1. Functionally, it is annotated with acyltransferase activity ([GO:0016747](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0016747)). Studies on an ectotherm homologue suggest it may function specifically as a histidine N-acetyltransferase, responsible for synthesizing N-alpha-acetylhistidine ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.10.004)). **Overall**, expression data indicates a highly specialized role for [NAT16](/details-gene/375607), with its significance being most pronounced in specialized sensory neurons of the eye, particularly [retina horizontal cell](/details-cell/CL0000745), and in pigment-producing cells such as [melanocyte of skin](/details-cell/CL1000458). ## Cellular Roles and Expression Landscape The expression profile of [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) points towards a specialized function within neuroectoderm-derived tissues. Its highest significance is observed in cells of the retina, including [retina horizontal cell](/details-cell/CL0000745) (CSI: 3.70), [H2 horizontal cell](/details-cell/CL0004218) (CSI: 1.33), and [H1 horizontal cell](/details-cell/CL0004217) (CSI: 1.23). These cells are interneurons in the retina that are critical for processing visual information. Beyond the retina, [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) shows significant expression in [melanocyte of skin](/details-cell/CL1000458) (CSI: 2.44), the cells responsible for melanin production. This distinct expression pattern suggests that the function of [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) is likely related to metabolic or protective processes common to these highly specialized, and often light-exposed, cell types. The absence of broad expression across other major cell lineages suggests a tightly regulated and specific role rather than a general housekeeping function. ## Pathways and Molecular Function [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) is annotated as having acyltransferase activity ([GO:0016747](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0016747)), which involves the transfer of an acyl group. This broad enzymatic function is refined by a study identifying its ectotherm homologue as a histidine N-acetyltransferase, which catalyzes the synthesis of N-alpha-acetylhistidine ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.10.004)). N-alpha-acetylhistidine is a dipeptide found in the vertebrate eye and brain, where it is thought to function as an antioxidant and osmolyte. This proposed function is highly consistent with the observed expression of [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) in retinal cells, which are under constant oxidative stress due to high metabolic activity and light exposure. Its role in melanocytes may be analogous, potentially protecting these cells from oxidative damage generated during melanin synthesis. ## Research Directions The specific expression pattern and putative enzymatic function of [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) offer several avenues for future investigation. **Proposed Hypotheses:** 1. Given its high expression in [retina horizontal cell](/details-cell/CL0000745) and its proposed role as a histidine N-acetyltransferase, [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) is essential for synthesizing neuroprotective compounds (e.g., N-alpha-acetylhistidine) that shield retinal neurons from photo-oxidative damage and regulate synaptic function. 2. In [melanocyte of skin](/details-cell/CL1000458), [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) may play a critical role in cellular homeostasis by acetylating specific protein substrates involved in the melanin synthesis pathway or by producing antioxidant molecules that neutralize reactive oxygen species generated during melanogenesis. **Key Experimental Approach:** To test the hypothesis that [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) is a neuroprotective enzyme in the retina, a retina-specific conditional knockout mouse model could be generated (e.g., using a *Cex1-Cre* driver to target horizontal cells). Retinas from these knockout mice and wild-type controls could be subjected to light-induced damage or chemical oxidative stress. The functional consequences could be assessed using electroretinography (ERG) to measure retinal cell activity, while TUNEL staining and histology could be used to quantify photoreceptor and horizontal cell death. Additionally, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) could be employed to directly measure the levels of N-alpha-acetylhistidine and other potential metabolites in retinal tissue to confirm the in vivo enzymatic activity of [NAT16](/details-gene/375607). **Therapeutic Potential:** As an enzyme with a highly restricted expression pattern, [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) presents an interesting therapeutic target. If its function is confirmed to be protective against oxidative stress in the retina, small molecule activators of [NAT16](/details-gene/375607) could be explored as a potential therapy for degenerative eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration. Conversely, if its activity is found to support the survival or proliferation of melanoma cells, developing specific small molecule inhibitors could offer a targeted therapeutic strategy for certain types of skin cancer with minimal off-target effects.

Genular Protein ID: 2576206786

Symbol: NAT16_HUMAN

Name: Probable N-acetyltransferase 16

UniProtKB Accession Codes:

Q8N8M0 B3KRS2 Q8NDR1

Database IDs:

AGR 1 AlphaFoldDB 1 Antibodypedia 1 BRENDA 1 Bgee 1 BioGRID 1 BioGRID-ORCS 1 BioMuta 1 CCDS 1 CTD 1 DMDM 1 DNASU 1 DisGeNET 1 EC 1 EMBL 5 Ensembl 3 ExpressionAtlas 1 GO 1 Gene3D 1 GeneCards 1 GeneTree 1 GenomeRNAi 1 HGNC 1 HOGENOM 1 HPA 1 InParanoid 1 IntAct 1 InterPro 3 KEGG 1 MANE-Select 1 MIM 1 MassIVE 1 NCBI Taxonomy 1 OMA 1 OpenTargets 1 OrthoDB 1 PANTHER 2 PRO 1 PROSITE 1 PathwayCommons 1 PaxDb 1 PeptideAtlas 1 Pfam 1 PharmGKB 1 Pharos 1 PhosphoSitePlus 1 PhylomeDB 1 Proteomes 1 ProteomicsDB 2 RNAct 1 RefSeq 3 SMR 1 STRING 1 SUPFAM 1 SignaLink 1 TreeFam 1 UCSC 1 VEuPathDB 1 eggNOG 1 iPTMnet 1 neXtProt 1

Citations:

PubMed ID: 14702039

Title: Complete sequencing and characterization of 21,243 full-length human cDNAs.

PubMed ID: 14702039

DOI: 10.1038/ng1285

PubMed ID: 12853948

Title: The DNA sequence of human chromosome 7.

PubMed ID: 12853948

DOI: 10.1038/nature01782

PubMed ID: 15489334

Title: The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC).

PubMed ID: 15489334

DOI: 10.1101/gr.2596504

PubMed ID: 17974005

Title: The full-ORF clone resource of the German cDNA consortium.

PubMed ID: 17974005

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-8-399

PubMed ID: 24121108

Title: An ectotherm homologue of human predicted gene NAT16 encodes histidine N-acetyltransferase responsible for Nalpha-acetylhistidine synthesis.

PubMed ID: 24121108

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.10.004

Sequence Information:

  • Length: 369
  • Mass: 40521
  • Checksum: DC3AD7F15AAF807C
  • Sequence:
    • MKLEASCGTA TSEVPKPEKK TARDAEPSSE TRPQEVEAEP RSGSGPEAEA EPLDFVVATE 
REFEEVLAIS GGIYGGLDYL PSRYHSWLRD PDRTVVLAKR NGGVIALESV NVIDAGETVL 
VEGLRVAPWE RGKGVAGLLQ RFCSQLVKRQ HPGVKVARLT RDDQLGPREL KKYRLITKQG 
ILLVRFNASA LLAGLGARLA ALRTSGTFSP LPTEAVSEAG GDVARLLLSP SVQRDVLPGG 
TIIQDWQPYR PSESNLRLLA AKGLEWRVDS RARPRVLTLC TRPFPIPHGG DGTWRYLNID 
AFGSDGAQVQ SQLLWHLQRQ APRLVGLNVM CQLFLEPQLW SQLADFCQVG LGLELVKGYT 
EQYLLEADI