Elastin
Elastin is a highly elastic protein in connective tissue that allows many tissues in the body to resume their shape after stretching or contracting. It helps skin to return to its original position when it is poked or pinched. Elastin is also an important load-bearing tissue in the bodies of vertebrates and used in places where mechanical energy is required to be stored.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Elastin is made by linking many soluble tropoelastin protein molecules, in a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme lysyl oxidase, to form an insoluble, durable cross-linked array. The cross-linking results in the formation of desmosine and isodesmosine, unique to elastin.
Function[edit | edit source]
Elastin's function is to be stretchable and, after being stretched, to be able to return to its original shape. This is ideal for many tissues in the body, such as the lungs, arteries, skin, and bladder. It is present in all vertebrates above the jawless fish.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
Elastin serves an important function in arteries and is particularly abundant in large elastic blood vessels. It is also very important in the lungs, elastic ligaments, the skin, and the bladder. When elastin is not functioning properly, disorders such as Marfan syndrome, Williams syndrome, Supravalvular aortic stenosis, and Cutis laxa can occur.
See also[edit | edit source]
- Collagen
- Extracellular matrix
- Marfan syndrome
- Williams syndrome
- Supravalvular aortic stenosis
- Cutis laxa
References[edit | edit source]
Elastin Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD