Parathyroid Physiology and Molecular Biology

Abstract

The parathyroid hormone gene has been sequenced in more than ten different species. Phylogenetic analysis has identified an array of homologous domains associated with the synthesis, secretion, and degradation of parathyroid hormone (PTH). These studies are advancing our understanding of the molecular signaling and feedback mechanisms involved in the hormonal control of calcium and phosphate metabolism. This chapter reviews these physiologic processes at the molecular level, which serves as a solid conceptual framework for understanding the pathology discussed in later chapters.