Eln - elastin

This gene encodes elastin, the extracellular matrix protein that forms a major structural component of several tissues including lungs and arterial walls. Cleavage of the signal peptide from the encoded precursor generates soluble tropoelastin which undergoes lysine-derived crosslinking to form elastin polymers. Mice lacking the encoded protein exhibit defective lung development, and die of an obstructive arterial disease resulting from subendothelial cell proliferation and reorganization of smooth muscle. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2015]