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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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ZDHHC3
zDHHC palmitoyltransferase 3
Chromosome 3 · 3p21.31
NCBI Gene: 51304Ensembl: ENSG00000163812.16HGNC: HGNC:18470UniProt: A0A994J7J2
45PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
palmitoyltransferase activityregulation of G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathwayprotein palmitoylationpositive regulation of toll-like receptor 9 signaling pathwayCOVID-19neoplasmnon-alcoholic steatohepatitiscancer
✦AI Summary

ZDHHC3 is a zinc finger DHHC-type palmitoyltransferase that catalyzes S-palmitoylation of multiple substrates, functioning primarily as a protein lipidation enzyme 1. This post-translational modification stabilizes target proteins by blocking their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation 12. In cancer immunity, ZDHHC3 mediates palmitoylation of immune checkpoint proteins including PD-L1 and B7-H4, preventing their lysosomal degradation and sustaining tumor immune evasion 13. ZDHHC3 also promotes cholesterol biosynthesis through SCAP S-acylation, creating a positive feedback loop with SREBP2 that reprograms metabolism and restrains anti-tumor T cell responses in hepatocellular carcinoma 4. Outside oncology, ZDHHC3-mediated palmitoylation of Cadm4 is essential for its plasma membrane localization and CNS myelination; ZDHHC3 disruption causes demyelination and neuroinflammation 5. In liver pathology, ZDHHC3 palmitoylates IRHOM2, promoting fatty acid-induced hepatosteatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis progression 2. In antiviral immunity, ZDHHC3 suppresses innate antiviral signaling by promoting MAVS degradation through K48-linked ubiquitination 6. ZDHHC3 inhibition via 2-bromopalmitate or ZDHHC3 knockdown enhances anti-tumor immunity and chemotherapy efficacy across pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer models 78, establishing ZDHHC3 as an emerging therapeutic target.

Sources cited
1
ZDHHC3 is a zinc finger DHHC-type palmitoyltransferase that catalyzes S-palmitoylation of multiple substrates, functioning primarily as a protein lipidation enzyme .
PMID: 30952982
2
ZDHHC3 also promotes cholesterol biosynthesis through SCAP S-acylation, creating a positive feedback loop with SREBP2 that reprograms metabolism and restrains anti-tumor T cell responses in hepatocellular carcinoma .
PMID: 39522165
3
Outside oncology, ZDHHC3-mediated palmitoylation of Cadm4 is essential for its plasma membrane localization and CNS myelination; ZDHHC3 disruption causes demyelination and neuroinflammation .
PMID: 39327467
4
This post-translational modification stabilizes target proteins by blocking their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation ,.
PMID: 37544908
5
In antiviral immunity, ZDHHC3 suppresses innate antiviral signaling by promoting MAVS degradation through K48-linked ubiquitination .
PMID: 40300684
Disease Associationsⓘ20
COVID-19Open Targets
0.37Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
non-alcoholic steatohepatitisOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
pancreatic adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
attention deficit hyperactivity disorderOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hereditary attention deficit-hyperactivity disorderOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
schizophrenia 15Open Targets
0.04Suggestive
hydrocephalus, congenital communicating, 1Open Targets
0.03Suggestive
Phelan-McDermid syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
megalencephaly, autosomal dominantOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Blocked Eustachian tubeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
cardiac hypertrophyOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
otosalpingitisOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
acute promyelocytic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
PREPProtein interaction79%ZDHHC11Protein interaction78%ZDHHC5Protein interaction72%GOLGA7Protein interaction72%ZDHHC7Shared pathway33%ZDHHC22Shared pathway33%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
71%
Heart
57%
Brain
45%
Ovary
44%
Liver
38%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
ZDHHC3PREPZDHHC11ZDHHC5GOLGA7ZDHHC7ZDHHC22
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9NYG2
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.50Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.98Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.30 [0.19–0.50]
RankingsWhere ZDHHC3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,549of 20,598
    Most Researched45
  • #2,976of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.50 · top quartile
Genes detectedZDHHC3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Inhibiting PD-L1 palmitoylation enhances T-cell immune responses against tumours.
PMID: 30952982
Nat Biomed Eng · 2019
1.00
2
ZDHHC3-mediated SCAP S-acylation promotes cholesterol biosynthesis and tumor immune escape in hepatocellular carcinoma.
PMID: 39522165
Cell Rep · 2024
0.90
3
Palmitoyltransferase ZDHHC3 Aggravates Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis by Targeting S-Palmitoylated IRHOM2.
PMID: 37544908
Adv Sci (Weinh) · 2023
0.80
4
Palmitoylation prevents B7-H4 lysosomal degradation sustaining tumor immune evasion.
PMID: 40341398
Nat Commun · 2025
0.70
5
Palmitoylation regulates myelination by modulating the ZDHHC3-Cadm4 axis in the central nervous system.
PMID: 39327467
Signal Transduct Target Ther · 2024
0.60