What is "prenylation"

n. isoprenylation

Prenylation (also known as isoprenylation or lipidation) is the addition of hydrophobic molecules to a protein or chemical compound. It is usually assumed that prenyl groups (3-methyl-but-2-en-1-yl) facilitate attachment to cell membranes, similar to lipid anchors like the GPI anchor, though direct evidence is missing. Prenyl groups have been shown to be important for protein–protein binding through specialized prenyl-binding domains.