Elongation of very long-chain fatty acids protein 6 (ELOVL6)

Elongation of very long-chain fatty acids protein 6 (ELOVL6) is a microsomal fatty acid elongase catalyzing the conversion of palmitate (C16:0) and palmitoleate (C16:1n-7) to stearate (C18:0) and oleate (C18:1n-9), respectively. Highly expressed in the liver and other tissues, ELOVL6 is central to the regulation of lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and cell membrane composition. It is implicated in cancer progression (notably breast and liver cancer), metabolic diseases (fatty liver, obesity, diabetes), and more recently, neurodegenerative disease such as multiple sclerosis by affecting myelin repair. ELOVL6 is regarded as a therapeutic target for diseases characterized by disordered lipid metabolism, with pharmacologic inhibitors under preclinical research. Its expression and activity are also considered potential biomarkers for disease risk and progression.

Other names

ELOVL fatty acid elongase 6Very long chain fatty acid elongase 63-keto acyl-CoA synthase Elovl6Elovl6

Inhibition of ELOVL6 reduces elongation of C16 fatty acids to C18, alters lipid profile, may decrease intracellular lipid accumulation, modulate cell phenotype in disease (inflammatory and foamy phagocyte)