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Osteocalcin
Osteocalcin, also known as bone gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein (BGLAP), is a small (49-amino-acid) noncollagenous protein hormone found in bone and dentin, first identified as a calcium-binding protein. Because osteocalcin has gla domains, its synthesis is vitamin K2-dependent. In humans, osteocalcin is encoded by the ''BGLAP'' gene. Its receptors include GPRC6A, GPR158, and possibly a third, yet-to-be-identified receptor. There is evidence that GPR37 might be the third osteocalcin receptor. Function Osteocalcin is secreted solely by osteoblasts and is thought to play a role in the body's metabolic regulation. In its carboxylated form, calcium is bound directly to the bone and thus concentrates here. In its uncarboxylated form, osteocalcin acts as a hormone in the body, signalling in the pancreas, fat, muscle, testes, and brain. * In the pancreas, osteocalcin acts on beta cells, causing beta cells in the pancreas to release more insulin. * In fat cel ...
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Osteoblasts
Osteoblasts (from the Greek combining forms for "bone", ὀστέο-, ''osteo-'' and βλαστάνω, ''blastanō'' "germinate") are cells with a single nucleus that synthesize bone. However, in the process of bone formation, osteoblasts function in groups of connected cells. Individual cells cannot make bone. A group of organized osteoblasts together with the bone made by a unit of cells is usually called the osteon. Osteoblasts are specialized, terminally differentiated products of mesenchymal stem cells. They synthesize dense, crosslinked collagen and specialized proteins in much smaller quantities, including osteocalcin and osteopontin, which compose the organic matrix of bone. In organized groups of disconnected cells, osteoblasts produce hydroxyapatite, the bone mineral, that is deposited in a highly regulated manner, into the inorganic matrix forming a strong and dense mineralized tissue, the mineralized matrix. Hydroxyapatite-coated bone implants often perform better as ...
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Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 or menaquinone (MK) () is one of three types of vitamin K, the other two being vitamin K1 ( phylloquinone) and K3 (menadione). K2 is both a tissue and bacterial product (derived from vitamin K1 in both cases) and is usually found in animal products or fermented foods. The number ''n'' of isoprenyl units in their side chain differs and ranges from 4 to 13, hence vitamin K2 consists of various forms. It is indicated as a suffix (-n), e. g. MK-7 or MK-9. * The most common in the human diet is the short-chain, water-soluble menatetrenone (MK-4), which is commonly found in animal products. However, at least one published study concluded that "MK-4 present in food does not contribute to the vitamin K status as measured by serum vitamin K levels." The MK-4 in animal (including human) tissue is made from dietary plant vitamin K1. This process can be accomplished by animal tissues alone, as it proceeds in germ-free rodents. * Long-chain menaquinones (longer than MK-4) include ...
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GPR37
Probable G-protein coupled receptor 37 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''GPR37'' gene. GPR37 is primarily found in the central nervous system (CNS), with significant expression observed in various CNS regions including the amygdala, basal ganglia ( caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens), substantia nigra, hippocampus, frontal cortex, and hypothalamus, particularly noteworthy is its exceptionally elevated expression in the spinal cord. Interactions GPR37 has been shown to interact with HSPA1A and Parkin (ligase). GPR37 is a receptor for prosaposin. It was previously thought to be a receptor for head activator, a neuropeptide found in the hydra, but early reports of head activator in mammals were never confirmed. To address challenges in confirming ligand-GPR37 interactions using recombinant GPR37 expressed in HEK293 cells, recent research has turned to primary cell cultures, leading to successful ligand identification. These investigations have unveiled the ...
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GPRC6A
G protein-coupled receptor family C group 6 member A (GPRC6A) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''GPRC6A'' gene. This protein functions as a receptor of L-α-amino acids, cations (e.g., calcium), osteocalcin, and steroids. It is a membrane androgen receptor. Clinical significance GPRC6A has also been linked to prostate cancer progression, and it has been shown to mediate rapid, non-genomic prostate cancer cell responses to testosterone Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and androgen in Male, males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting se .... See also * ZIP9 References Further reading * * * * * External links * * G protein-coupled receptors {{transmembranereceptor-stub ...
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Lactoferrin
Lactoferrin (LF), also known as lactotransferrin (LTF), is a multifunctional protein of the transferrin family. Lactoferrin is a globular proteins, globular glycoprotein with a molecular mass of about 80 Atomic mass unit, kDa that is widely represented in various secretory fluids, such as milk, saliva, tears, and Mucus, nasal secretions. Lactoferrin is also present in secondary granules of Granulocyte, PMNs and is secreted by some Centroacinar cells, acinar cells. Lactoferrin can be purified from milk or produced Recombinant DNA, recombinantly. Human colostrum (''"first milk"'') has the highest concentration, followed by human milk, then cow milk (150 mg/L). Lactoferrin is one of the components of the immune system of the body; it has antimicrobial activity (bacteriocide, fungicide) and is part of the innate defense, mainly at mucoses. It is constantly produced and released into saliva, tears, as well as seminal and vaginal fluid. Lactoferrin provides Antiseptic, antibacteria ...
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Gla Domain
Vitamin K-dependent carboxylation/gamma-carboxyglutamic (GLA) domain is a protein domain that contains post-translational modifications of many glutamate residues by vitamin K-dependent carboxylation to form γ-carboxyglutamate (Gla). Proteins with this domain are known informally as Gla proteins. The Gla residues are responsible for the high-affinity binding of calcium ions. The GLA domain binds calcium ions by chelating them between two carboxylic acid residues. These residues are part of a region that starts at the N-terminal extremity of the mature form of Gla proteins, and that ends with a conserved aromatic residue. This results in a conserved Gla-x(3)-Gla-x-Cys motif that is found in the middle of the domain, and which seems to be important for substrate recognition by the carboxylase. The 3D structures of several Gla domains have been solved. Calcium ions induce conformational changes in the Gla domain and are necessary for the Gla domain to fold properly. A common structu ...
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Fight-or-flight Response
The fight-or-flight or the fight-flight-freeze-or-fawn (also called hyperarousal or the acute stress response) is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon in 1915. His theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, preparing the animal for fighting or fleeing. More specifically, the adrenal medulla produces a hormonal cascade that results in the secretion of catecholamines, especially norepinephrine and epinephrine. The hormones estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol, as well as the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, also affect how organisms react to stress. The hormone osteocalcin might also play a part. This response is recognised as the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms. Name Originally understood as the "figh ...
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Bone Mineral Density
Bone density, or bone mineral density, is the amount of bone mineral in bone tissue. The concept is of mass of mineral per volume of bone (relating to density in the physics sense), although clinically it is measured by proxy according to optical density per square centimetre of bone surface upon imaging. Bone density measurement is used in clinical medicine as an indirect indicator of osteoporosis and fracture risk. It is measured by a procedure called densitometry, often performed in the radiology or nuclear medicine departments of hospitals or clinics. The measurement is painless and non-invasive and involves low radiation exposure. Measurements are most commonly made over the lumbar spine and over the upper part of the hip. The forearm may be scanned if the hip and lumbar spine are not accessible. There is a statistical association between poor bone density and higher probability of fracture. Fractures of the legs and pelvis due to falls are a significant public health p ...
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Adrenal Insufficiency
Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones. The adrenal glands—also referred to as the adrenal cortex—normally secrete glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol), mineralocorticoids (primarily aldosterone), and androgens. These hormones are important in regulating blood pressure, electrolytes, and metabolism as a whole. Deficiency of these hormones leads to symptoms ranging from abdominal pain, vomiting, muscle weakness and fatigue, low blood pressure, depression, mood and personality changes (in mild cases) to organ failure and shock (in severe cases). Adrenal crisis may occur if a person having adrenal insufficiency experiences stresses, such as an accident, injury, surgery, or severe infection; this is a life-threatening medical condition resulting from severe deficiency of cortisol in the body. Death may quickly follow. Adrenal insufficiency can be caused by dysfunction of the adrenal gland itself, wh ...
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Ossification
Ossification (also called osteogenesis or bone mineralization) in bone remodeling is the process of laying down new bone material by cells named osteoblasts. It is synonymous with bone tissue formation. There are two processes resulting in the formation of normal, healthy bone tissue: Intramembranous ossification is the direct laying down of bone into the primitive connective tissue ( mesenchyme), while endochondral ossification involves cartilage as a precursor. In fracture healing, endochondral osteogenesis is the most commonly occurring process, for example in fractures of long bones treated by plaster of Paris, whereas fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation with metal plates, screws, pins, rods and nails may heal by intramembranous osteogenesis. Heterotopic ossification is a process resulting in the formation of bone tissue that is often atypical, at an extraskeletal location. Calcification is often confused with ossification. Calcificatio ...
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Protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, Cell signaling, responding to stimuli, providing Cytoskeleton, structure to cells and Fibrous protein, organisms, and Intracellular transport, transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is dictated by the Nucleic acid sequence, nucleotide sequence of their genes, and which usually results in protein folding into a specific Protein structure, 3D structure that determines its activity. A linear chain of amino acid residues is called a polypeptide. A protein contains at least one long polypeptide. Short polypeptides, containing less than 20–30 residues, are rarely considered to be proteins and are commonly called pep ...
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Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk. It is the most common reason for a broken bone among the Old age, elderly. Bones that commonly break include the vertebrae in the Vertebral column, spine, the bones of the forearm, the wrist, and the hip. Until a broken bone occurs there are typically no symptoms. Bones may weaken to such a degree that a break may occur with minor stress or spontaneously. After the broken bone heals, some people may have chronic pain and a decreased ability to carry out normal activities. Osteoporosis may be due to lower-than-normal peak bone mass, maximum bone mass and greater-than-normal bone loss. Bone loss increases after menopause in women due to lower levels of estrogen, and after andropause in older men due to lower levels of testosterone. Osteoporosis may also occur due to a ...
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