Modification of lysine residues in proteins: a novel posttranslational effect of vitamin C

Abstract

In a recent article published in Cell, He and colleagues reported that vitamin C (VitC) modifies lysine residues in proteins and peptides, thereby forming vitcyl-lysine, a process they have called vitcylation. They show that vitcylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) increases its phosphorylation and thereby promotes interferon pathway activation in cancer cells and anti-tumor immunity.¹