Calcitonin
Calcitonin is a secreted peptide hormone involved in calcium regulation and phosphorus metabolism. It is encoded by the CALCA gene (calcitonin related polypeptide alpha, also known as CGRP, CGRP-alpha and CALC1), which also gives rise to calcitonin gene-related peptide and katacalcin. Browse Assay Genie's current range of Calcitonin research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
Calcitonin is a peptide hormone that is involved in calcium regulation and acts to regulate phosphorus metabolism. It is a secreted protein and belongs to the calcitonin family. The CALCA gene does not encode a single product: it encodes the peptide hormones calcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and katacalcin, which are released by cleavage of inactive precursor proteins.
Which peptide is produced depends on tissue-specific alternative splicing of the gene transcripts. Each product has a distinct role. Calcitonin regulates calcium and phosphorus. Calcitonin gene-related peptide functions as a vasodilator and as an antimicrobial peptide. Katacalcin is a potent plasma calcium-lowering peptide. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been reported for the CALCA gene, so researchers studying calcitonin should consider which processed product or precursor form is relevant to their work.
HGNC classifies the gene within the neuropeptides group and lists calcitonin 1 as a previous name, with CGRP, CGRP-alpha and CALC1 as aliases. Orthologous genes, named Calca, are present in mouse and rat, which allows the calcitonin protein and its related peptides to be studied in rodent models. This page brings together reagents for calcitonin research, including tools for the study of the calcitonin gene and its peptide products.
Calcitonin is involved in calcium regulation, and katacalcin is a potent plasma calcium-lowering peptide, making this gene relevant to mineral balance studies.
Calcitonin acts to regulate phosphorus metabolism, so it is a useful target for work on how mineral handling is controlled.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide, encoded by the same gene, functions as a vasodilator, linking CALCA to vascular research.
Tissue-specific splicing and precursor cleavage yield several peptides from one gene, making CALCA a clear model for transcript and peptide processing.
Calcitonin is involved in calcium regulation and acts to regulate phosphorus metabolism. The same gene also yields katacalcin, a potent plasma calcium-lowering peptide, and calcitonin gene-related peptide, which functions as a vasodilator and as an antimicrobial peptide.
The CALCA gene encodes calcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide and katacalcin. Tissue-specific alternative splicing of the transcripts, followed by cleavage of inactive precursor proteins, determines which peptide is made. CGRP, CGRP-alpha and CALC1 are aliases, and calcitonin 1 is a previous name.
Yes. Mouse and rat each have an ortholog named Calca, so the gene can be studied in rodent models. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms are known for the human gene; check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other neuropeptides, calcium-regulating hormones and vascular signalling targets with products at Assay Genie.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P01258; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.