Cutting out the fat: Site-specific deacylation of an ion channel

S-Acylation, a reversible post-translational lipid modification of proteins, controls the properties and function of various proteins, including ion channels. Large conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium (BK) channels are S-acylated at two sites that impart distinct functional effects. Whereas the enzymes that attach lipid groups are known, the enzymes mediating lipid removal (i.e. deacylation) are largely unknown. Here, McClafferty et al. identify two enzymes, ABHD17a and ABHD17c, that excise BK channel lipid groups with remarkable precision. These findings lend insights into mechanisms that orchestrate the (de)acylation that fine-tunes ion channel function in physiology and disease.