acetylate

Acetylate is a term used in chemistry with two related senses. It can refer to the act of introducing an acetyl group into a molecule, a process known as acetylation, or to the products that result from such a reaction, including acetate esters and acetate salts. The acetate ion, CH3COO−, is the conjugate base of acetic acid and forms salts such as sodium acetate and potassium acetate.

In organic synthesis, acetylation uses acetylating agents such as acetyl chloride, acetic anhydride, or acetyl bromide to convert alcohols into acetate esters or amines into N-acetylated derivatives. This reaction proceeds via nucleophilic acyl substitution and often serves to protect functional groups, since acetyl groups can be removed later by hydrolysis or selective deprotection steps.

In biology and biochemistry, acetylation commonly refers to the addition of an acetyl group to biomolecules. A prominent example is the acetylation of lysine residues on histone proteins, which modulates chromatin structure and gene expression; acetyl groups are donated by acetyl-CoA and transferred by histone acetyltransferases. Deacetylases can remove these groups, reversing the modification and influencing cellular processes.

Usage of the term acetylate therefore covers both the chemical product class derived from acetylation and the chemical act of adding an acetyl group. Related terms include acetate, acetyl group, acetylation, and acetyl donor.