N-alpha-acetyltransferase 15, NatA auxiliary subunit

NAA15 (N-alpha-acetyltransferase 15) is an auxiliary subunit of N-terminal acetyltransferase (NAT) complexes that catalyze alpha-acetyltransferase activity on protein substrates (UniProt: Q9BXJ9). This enzymatic function is implicated in vascular, hematopoietic, and neuronal growth and development. NAA15 also participates in transcriptional regulation through interaction with DNA repair proteins XRCC6 and XRCC5.

NAA15 is expressed in multiple tissues and has been associated with intellectual developmental disorder, autosomal dominant 50 (MRD50), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired cognitive and adaptive functioning (UniProt: Q9BXJ9). The protein's role in neuronal development suggests relevance to central nervous system function.

In Alzheimer's disease brain tissue, NAA15 shows ambiguous regulation across subcellular fractions compared to age-matched controls in post-mortem TMT proteomics data (Chaparral AD proteomics). The mean log2 fold-change is 0.1607 across two measured fractions, indicating minimal overall shift but variable direction between compartments. This pattern suggests compartment-specific or fraction-dependent changes that warrant further investigation in AD pathology.