Enzymatic characterization of ELOVL1, a key enzyme in very long-chain fatty acid synthesis

In this study, we investigated the kinetic characteristics of ELOVL1 using X-ALD fibroblasts and microsomal fractions from ELOVL1 over-expressing HEK293 cell lines and analyzed the inhibition kinetics of a series of fibrates. Our data show that the CoA esters of bezafibrate and gemfibrozil reduce chain elongation by specifically inhibiting ELOVL1. These fibrates can therefore serve as lead compounds for the development of more potent and more specific inhibitors for ELOVL1.