Myristate, a rare 14-carbon saturated fatty acid, is cotranslationally attached by an amide linkage to the N-terminal glycine residue of cellular and viral proteins with diverse functions. N-myristoyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of myristate from CoA to proteins. N-myristoylation appears to be irreversible and is required for full expression of the biologic activities of several N-myristoylated proteins, including the alpha subunit of the signal-transducing guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein).