Which vitamin is required for gamma-carboxylation of factors II, VII, IX, and X?

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Multiple Choice

Which vitamin is required for gamma-carboxylation of factors II, VII, IX, and X?

The key idea is that a specific fat-soluble vitamin acts as a cofactor for the enzyme that adds carboxyl groups to certain clotting factors. This gamma-carboxylation enables those factors to bind calcium and attach to phospholipid surfaces, which is essential for their function in the coagulation cascade. The factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX, and X all require this modification to become active players in clot formation. Vitamin K supplies the necessary cofactor for this carboxylation cycle and is recycled to sustain the process. Other vitamins listed do not participate in this specific modification: A is tied to vision and epithelium, D to calcium metabolism and bones, and C to collagen synthesis and antioxidant roles. So the vitamin required for gamma-carboxylation of those factors is Vitamin K.

The key idea is that a specific fat-soluble vitamin acts as a cofactor for the enzyme that adds carboxyl groups to certain clotting factors. This gamma-carboxylation enables those factors to bind calcium and attach to phospholipid surfaces, which is essential for their function in the coagulation cascade. The factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX, and X all require this modification to become active players in clot formation. Vitamin K supplies the necessary cofactor for this carboxylation cycle and is recycled to sustain the process. Other vitamins listed do not participate in this specific modification: A is tied to vision and epithelium, D to calcium metabolism and bones, and C to collagen synthesis and antioxidant roles. So the vitamin required for gamma-carboxylation of those factors is Vitamin K.

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