| Theme |
New era of the vitamin K research in bone metabolism |
| Title |
Molecular mechanism for intracellular vitamin K recycling system |
| Author |
Takayuki Hosoi |
Department of Clinical Research and Development, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology |
| [ Summary ] |
Vitamin K acts as a co‒factor for gamma‒carboxylase in the carboxylation of vitamin K‒dependent proteins. After that reaction, vitamin K is oxidized to become an epoxide, which is then reduced to hydroquinone. The chain of enzymatic reactions for vitamin K recycling is called the vitamin K cycle. Polymorphisms in the VKORC1 gene which is an enzyme coding vitamin K epoxide reductase has been focused from the pharmacogenetics of warfarin treatment. |