The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene family. Desaturase enzymes regulate unsaturation of fatty acids through the introduction of double bonds between defined carbons of the fatty acyl chain. FADS family members are considered fusion products composed of an N-terminal cytochrome b5-like domain and a C-terminal multiple membrane-spanning desaturase portion, both of which are characterized by conserved histidine motifs. This gene is clustered with family members at 11q12-q13.1; this cluster is thought to have arisen evolutionarily from gene duplication based on its similar exon/intron organization. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2013]
Forensic Context
A study in humans demonstrated that the FADS2 exhibited transient "spikes" in expression, most notably in the polyA+ fraction of RNA from white blood cell fractions, indicating a transient response associated with spaceflight [Schmidt et al. DOI:10.1159/000506769]. Another human study found that the FADS2 gene was up-regulated in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue in response to a 7-day overfeeding intervention [Shea et al. DOI:10.3945/ajcn.2008.25970].