Elongase is a generic term for an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

that catalyzes

carbon chain In chemistry, catenation is the bonding of atoms of the same element into a series, called a ''chain''. A chain or a ring shape may be ''open'' if its ends are not bonded to each other (an open-chain compound), or ''closed'' if they are bonded ...

extension of an organic molecule, especially a

fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, fr ...

. Elongases play a variety of roles in mammalian organisms, accounting for changes in tissue function, lipid regulation, and the overall physiology of an organism.

List of Elongases

* Very-long-chain (3R)-3-hydroxyacyl-(acyl-carrier protein) dehydratase * Icosanoyl-CoA synthase

References

Enzymes {{Enzyme-stub