Elongation Of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids Like Protein 5 (ELOVL5)

ELOVL5 plays a role in elongation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.By database analysis using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Elo2 sequence as query, followed by PCR of a human liver cDNA library, Leonard et al. (2000) cloned ELOVL5, which they called HELO1. The deduced 299-amino acid protein contains 6 transmembrane regions and a histidine box, characteristic of membrane-bound enzymes. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of human tissues detected highest expression testis and adrenal gland with lower expression in brain, lung, prostate, mammary gland, thymus, and fetal liver.Leonard et al. (2000) showed that ELOVL5 expressed in yeast catalyzed the elongation of the polyunsaturated fatty acid substrate gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and several other long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.