Background: Reversible lysine acetylation of proteins is ubiquitous in actinomycetales. Results: Arginine and cysteine allosterically regulate the protein lysine acetyltransferase Micau_1670 in Micromonospora aurantiaca. Conclusion:The amino acid-binding domain is fused to GCN5-related acetyltransferases, conferring amino acid-induced allosteric regulation to these enzymes. Significance: Activities mediated by amino acids in these acetyltransferases directly link amino acid metabolism to cellular acetylation of proteins.

We developed a novel colorimetric method for rapid detection of biogenic amines based on arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (aaNAT). The proposed method offers distinct advantages including simple handling, high speed, low cost, good sensitivity and selectivity.