| Background |
Regucalcin is a highly conserved, multifunctional protein encoded by the RGN gene on the X chromosome, generally recognized as a calcium (Ca2+) binding protein involved in the maintenance of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. The protein was independently identified and termed Senescence Marker Protein-30 (SMP30), following the observation in a rat aging model that expression of the protein markedly declined with age in a hormone-independent manner . Regucalcin/SMP30 has since been implicated in the regulatory control of many fundamental biological processes (e.g., cell growth, apoptosis, cellular metabolism), largely through its role in regulating Ca2+ homeostasis and Ca2+-dependent signal transduction. Research studies also suggest that regucalcin/SMP30 may function as a tumor suppressor in some contexts, while serum levels of regucalcin/SMP30 have also been proposed as potential biomarkers of liver and kidney dysfunction.
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