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ENZYME MECHANISMS

Fatty acid elongation by ELOVL condensing enzymes depends on a histidine nucleophile

The first crystal structure of a membrane-bound fatty acid elongase condensing enzyme, human ELOVL7, reveals a new reaction mechanism.

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Fig. 1: Fatty acid elongation pathway.
Fig. 2: ELOVL7 structure.

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Acknowledgements

A. Pike graciously provided Fig. 2a. R. Minto is gratefully acknowledged for engaging in critical discussions.

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Correspondence to Brenda J. Blacklock.

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Blacklock, B.J. Fatty acid elongation by ELOVL condensing enzymes depends on a histidine nucleophile. Nat Struct Mol Biol 28, 462–464 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-021-00609-2

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