Elastinen

Elastinen is the Finnish term for elastin, a major structural protein of the extracellular matrix that gives tissues their elasticity. Elastin, together with microfibrils, forms elastic fibers found in many connective tissues, enabling them to stretch and then return to their original shape.

Elastin is produced as the precursor protein tropoelastin by fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Tropoelastin is secreted into the extracellular space, where it assembles around microfibrils and becomes cross-linked through enzymatic action by lysyl oxidase. The cross-links, primarily desmosine and isodesmosine, stabilize the elastin network and confer its durable elastic properties. Elastin itself is relatively hydrophobic and resistant to proteolysis, which helps preserve tissue elasticity over time.

Tissues rich in elastin include the skin, lungs, large arteries, ligaments, and certain airways. In arteries, elastin provides resilience and recoil after pulsatile blood flow; in lungs, it aids in expiration by allowing alveolar walls to snap back after expansion. Elastin content declines with aging, and degradation of elastin is accelerated by environmental factors such as smoking and inflammatory processes.

Genetics and disease association: the ELN gene encodes elastin and is located on chromosome 7. Mutations or haploinsufficiency of ELN can cause disorders such as supravalvular aortic stenosis and cutis laxa, reflecting the importance of elastin in vascular and skin elasticity.

Applications: elastin and elastin-like materials are studied for biomaterials and tissue engineering due to their elastic properties. Synthetic and recombinant elastin-like polypeptides are explored to design flexible, biocompatible scaffolds.