Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
...specific glutamic acid residues in the protein are changed by an enzyme-mediated reaction to form a modified glutamic acid known as γ-carboxyglutamic acid. This enzyme reaction, known as γ-carboxylation, requires vitamin K as a cofactor. γ-Carboxyglutamic acid is a unique amino acid that binds to calcium. In the protein, γ-carboxyglutamic acids form the...
We welcome your comments. Any revisions or updates suggested for this article will be reviewed by our editorial staff. Contact us here.
Regular users of Britannica may notice that this comments feature is less robust than in the past. This is only temporary, while we make the transition to a dramatically new and richer site. The functionality of the system will be restored soon.