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Updated: Dec 6, 2025

In Vivo Quantification of Protein Turnover in Aging C. Elegans using Photoconvertible Dendra2
Published on: June 13, 2020
ELOVL2: Not just a biomarker of aging
Daniel L Chao1, Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk2
1Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, School do Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
Abstract:
DNA methylation of the ELOVL2 (Elongation Of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids-Like 2) promoter is one of the most robust molecular biomarkers for chronological age, but whether ELOVL2 plays a functional role in aging has not been explored. ELOVL2 encodes a transmembrane protein involved in the synthesis of very long polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs). These fatty acids play important roles in retinal biology and photoreceptor renewal, key processes implicated in age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Here, we summarize our work deciphering the role of ELOVL2 in the eye emphasizing the potential functional role of age-related DNA methylation in the pathophysiology of AMD.
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