Neuronal activity moves protein palmitoylation into the synapse

Many neuronal proteins undergo lipid modification that regulates their function and subcellular localization. One such modification is palmitoylation, which is mediated by a large class of protein palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs). Now, a paper in this issue (Noritake et al. 2009. J. Cell Biol. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200903101) demonstrates that the localization of the PAT DHHC2 is regulated by neuronal activity and thereby selectively controls the palmitoylation and subsequent accumulation of specific proteins in the synapse.