CellPalmSeq: A curated RNAseq database of palmitoylating and de-palmitoylating enzyme expression in human cell types and laboratory cell lines

The reversible lipid modification protein S-palmitoylation can dynamically modify the localization, diffusion, function, conformation and physical interactions of substrate proteins. Dysregulated S-palmitoylation is associated with a multitude of human diseases including brain and metabolic disorders, viral infection and cancer. However, the diverse expression patterns of the genes that regulate palmitoylation in the broad range of human cell types are currently unexplored, and their expression in commonly used cell lines that are the workhorse of basic and preclinical research are often overlooked when studying palmitoylation dependent processes. We therefore created CellPalmSeq (https://cellpalmseq.med.ubc.ca), a curated RNAseq database and interactive webtool for visualization of the expression patterns of the genes that regulate palmitoylation across human single cell types, bulk tissue, cancer cell lines and commonly used laboratory non-human cell lines. This resource will allow exploration of these expression patterns, revealing important insights into cellular physiology and disease, and will aid with cell line selection and the interpretation of results when studying important cellular processes that depend on protein S-palmitoylation.

Automated summary

The reversible lipid modification protein S-palmitoylation has significant implications in various aspects of cellular function and diseases. However, the expression patterns of genes regulating palmitoylation in different human cell types and commonly used cell lines are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we developed CellPalmSeq, a curated RNAseq database and webtool that visualizes the expression patterns of palmitoylation-related genes across various human cell types, tissues, and cell lines. This resource provides valuable insights into cellular physiology and disease, and can assist in selecting appropriate cell lines and interpreting results in studies involving protein S-palmitoylation.