Definition
Calcitonin (CT) is a 32-amino acid peptide synthesized in mammals by the C cells of the thyroid gland. Several extrathyroidal sites including the prostate gland, gastrointestinal tract, thymus, bladder, lung, pituitary gland, and central nervous system (CNS) also produce this peptide molecule (Ball 2007).
Characteristics
Almost all cells of human body synthesize and secrete procalcitonin (proCT), a precursor of the CT peptide, in response to infection/inflammation. Only cells of the thyroid and neuroendocrine organs can process proCT to produce mature CT molecule (Davies 2015). CT sequence among various species shows remarkable divergence (Steinwald et al. 1999). However, all sequences contain 32 amino acids, a carboxy-terminal proline amide, and a disulfide bridge between cysteine residues at positions 1 and 7. In addition to CT, other biologically and chemically diverse molecules such as CT gene-related peptide (CGRP), adrenomedullin(AFP-modern), and amylin (AMY) are...
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References
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Shah, G.V. (2015). Calcitonin. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_776-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_776-2
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9
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