Protein farnesyltransferase subunit beta

Protein farnesyltransferase subunit beta is an essential component of the protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) complex. FTase catalyzes the posttranslational modification known as farnesylation, which is the transfer of a 15-carbon isoprenoid lipid (farnesyl group) to a cysteine residue at the fourth position from the C-terminus of target proteins that contain a CaaX motif. This modification increases hydrophobicity and typically targets proteins to cellular membranes, which is critical for their function in signaling pathways. FTase is targeted in drug discovery due to its role in modifying Ras-family GTPases implicated in cancer.

Inhibition of protein farnesylation