Vitamin K-dependent carboxylase.

Vitamin K-dependent carboxylase is found in the liver, where it is involved in the synthesis of four blood coagulation factors and protein C. The hepatic enzyme has partly been purified and several mechanisms have been postulated for the vitamin K-dependent carboxylation reaction. Recently the enzyme has also been detected in other tissues including the lung, kidney, spleen, testis, bone and arterial vessel wall. The proteins produced by these non-hepatic carboxylases are now being characterized, but in most cases their function is still unknown. This paper is meant to review our present knowledge in this field.