Catalyzes the N-acetylation of the amino acid thialysine (S-(2-aminoethyl)-L-cysteine), a L-lysine analog with the 4-methylene group substituted with a sulfur . May also catalyze acetylation of polyamines, such as norspermidine, spermidine or spermine . However, ability to acetylate polyamines is weak, suggesting that it does not act as a diamine acetyltransferase in vivo .
Subcellular locations: Cytoplasm
Intracellular organelles.
Widely expressed (, ). Under physiological conditions, SSAT2 is expressed at lower level that SSAT1 (SSAT). Many tissues express only SSAT1, several tissues express both SSAT1 and SSAT2, and bone, cervix, ovary and pineal gland expressed only SSAT2 .