Vitamin K Physiology

Vitamin K is involved in the carboxylation of certain glutamate residues in proteins to form gamma-carboxyglutamate residues (abbreviated Gla-residues). The modified residues are often (but not always) situated within specific protein domains called Gla domains. Gla-residues are usually involved in binding calcium. The Gla-residues are essential for the biological activity of all known Gla-proteins.

14 human proteins with Gla domains have been discovered, and they play key roles in the regulation of three physiological processes:

• Blood coagulation: (prothrombin (factor II), factors VII, IX, X, protein C, protein S, and protein Z).
• Bone metabolism: osteocalcin, also called bone Gla-protein (BGP), and matrix gla protein (MGP).
• Vascular biology.

Further Reading

• What is Vitamin K?
• Chemical Structure of Vitamin K
• Sources of Vitamin K
• Vitamin K Deficiency
• Vitamin K Biochemistry
• Newborn Vitamin K Injections
• Vitamin K Uses

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