Elovl6: a new player in fatty acid metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
Obesity is a major health problem in industrialized societies often associated with diabetes, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. This review addresses the hypothesis that elongation of long-chain fatty acids family member 6 (Elovl6) has an important role in energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Elovl6 is a microsomal enzyme involved in the elongation of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids with 12, 14, and 16 carbons. Mice with targeted disruption in the gene for Elovl6 (Elovl6 (-/-)) are resistant to diet-induced insulin resistance despite their hepatosteatosis and obesity being similar to that of the wild-type mice. Protection against diet-induced insulin resistance in Elovl6 (-/-) mice is partially due to restoration of hepatic insulin receptor substrate-2 and suppression of hepatic protein kinase C epsilon, resulting in restoration of Akt phosphorylation. We suggest that inhibition of this elongase could be a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic diseases.
Matsuzaka
Takashi
T
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai, Ibaraki, Japan.
Shimano
Hitoshi
H
D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological
C000630955:ELOVL6 protein, human; C000630968:Elovl6 protein, mouse; D005227:Fatty Acids; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases