Fatty acids (FA) consisting of up to 16 carbons, are synthesized by the well-studied fatty acid synthase (FAS) complex in the cytosol. However, a significant amount of the fatty acids produced by FAS are further elongated into very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA).
VLCFA have been recognized as structural components in a variety of fat molecules such as sphingolipids, glycerophospholipids, triacylglycerols, sterol- and wax-esters. They are found in virtually all cells and are major constituents of the brain, skin and testis. Depending on their chain length and degree of unsaturation, they contribute to membrane fluidity and other chemical properties of the cell.
 

Zadravec D, Tvrdik P, Guillou H, Haslam R, Kobayashi T, Napier JA, Capecchi MR, Jacobsson A.
ELOVL2 controls the level of n-6 28:5 and 30:5 fatty acids in testis, a prerequisite for male fertility and sperm maturation in mice.
J Lipid Res. 2011 Feb;52(2):245-55. Epub 2010 Nov 24.
PMID: 21106902

Zadravec D, Brolinson A, Fisher RM, Carneheim C, Csikasz RI, Bertrand-Michel J, Borén J, Guillou H, Rudling M, Jacobsson A.
Ablation of the very-long-chain fatty acid elongase ELOVL3 in mice leads to constrained lipid storage and resistance to diet-induced obesity.
FASEB J. 2010 Jul 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Guillou H, Zadravec D, Martin PG, Jacobsson A.
The key roles of elongases and desaturases in mammalian fatty acid metabolism: Insights from transgenic mice.
Prog Lipid Res. 2010 Apr;49(2):186-99. Epub 2009 Dec 16. Review.

Brolinson A, Fourcade S, Jakobsson A, Pujol A, Jacobsson A.
Steroid hormones control circadian Elovl3 expression in mouse liver.
Endocrinology. 2008 Jun;149(6):3158-66. Epub 2008 Feb 21

Jörgensen JA, Zadravec D, Jacobsson A.
Norepinephrine and rosiglitazone synergistically induce Elovl3 expression in brown adipocytes.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Nov;293(5):E1159-68. Epub 2007 Aug 28.