Background: Liver pathologies represent a spectrum of conditions ranging from fatty liver to the aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as parasitic infections, which collectively pose substantial global health challenges. S-palmitoylation (commonly referred to as palmitoylation), a post-translational modification (PTM) characterized by the covalent linkage of a 16-carbon palmitic acid (PA) chain to specific cysteine residues on target proteins, plays a pivotal role in diverse cellular functions and is intimately associated with the liver's physiological and pathological states.
Aim of review: This study aims to elucidate how protein palmitoylation affects liver disease pathophysiology and evaluates its potential as a target for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
Key scientific concepts of review: Recent studies have identified the key role of protein palmitoylation in regulating the development and progression of liver diseases. This review summarizes the intricate mechanisms by which protein palmitoylation modulates the pathophysiological processes of liver diseases and explores the potential of targeting protein palmitoylation modifications or the enzymes regulating this modification as prospective diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Keywords: Fatty liver; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver diseases; Parasitic infection; Protein palmitoylation.
Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.