What does the research say about MBOAT2?

MBOAT2

There are 5 papers on MBOAT2 in aging research: none in people yet, 5 in animals. The newest story, Oct 30, 2026: “Fat-remodeling enzyme boosts stem cell activation in old mice”.

Gene

5 papers study it4 findings

HGNC NCBI Gene Taxon

See all 5

1 of its findings points the other way.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

Includes the processes named after it and trials of drugs aimed at it.

2 independent labs in 2 countries
1 finding against

Funders: Air Force Office of Scientific Research and 4 more
2 of 4 findings with company ties

Animals5

Effects

Neural stem cell activation

upin mice1downin mouse cells1

1 study

MBOAT2 improves neural stem cell activation in old quiescent NSCs.
“Mboat2 overexpression reverses age-related lipidomic changes in old quiescent NSCs and boosts their ability to activate in vitro and in vivo.”
Animalsin old quiescent NSCs
Fat-remodeling enzyme boosts stem cell activation in old mice
Science advancesJul 29, 2026
MBOAT2 impairs neural stem cell activation in old quiescent NSCs.
“Knocking out the phospholipid acyltransferase MBOAT2 exacerbates age-related lipidomic changes in old quiescent NSCs and impedes their ability to activate.”
Cellsin old quiescent NSCs
Fat-remodeling enzyme boosts stem cell activation in old mice
Science advancesJul 29, 2026

Myogenic repair

upin mouse cells1

1 study

MBOAT2 improves myogenic repair in mouse cells.
“Loss- and gain-of-function approaches confirm that MBOAT2 remodels PC and promotes myogenic repair.”
Cellsskeletal muscle
MBOAT2 limits the amounts of PUFA in phosphatidylcholine of neonatal and dystrophic skeletal muscle and promotes muscle regeneration
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)Nov 3, 2025Preprint

Polyunsaturated fatty acids in phosphatidylcholine

downin mouse cells1

1 study

MBOAT2 decreases polyunsaturated fatty acids in phosphatidylcholine in mouse cells.
“MBOAT2, a lysophospholipid acyltransferase highly induced in activated satellite cells, as a key enzyme that limits the amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in phosphatidylcholine (PC).”
Cellsskeletal muscle
MBOAT2 limits the amounts of PUFA in phosphatidylcholine of neonatal and dystrophic skeletal muscle and promotes muscle regeneration
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)Nov 3, 2025Preprint

More on Polyunsaturated fatty acids in phosphatidylcholine

Latest

2 papers in 12 months

Science AdvancesJul 29

Fat-remodeling enzyme boosts stem cell activation in old mice

Boosting a fat-remodeling enzyme increased the share of dividing neural stem cells by 97% versus the comparison group in old male mice.Boosting a fat-remodeling enzyme increased the share of dividing neural stem cells by 97% versus the comparison group in old male mice.

Mouse studyMechanisms