Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Proteins produced and secreted by the liver

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The liver plays the major role in producing proteins that are secreted into the blood, including major plasma proteins, factors in hemostasis and fibrinolysis, carrier proteins, hormones, prohormones and apolipoproteins:

Contents

Major plasma proteins

  • Human serum albumin, osmolyte and carrier protein
  • α-fetoprotein, the fetal counterpart of serum albumin
  • Soluble plasma fibronectin, forming a blood clot that stops bleeding
  • C-reactive protein, opsonin on microbes, acute phase protein
  • Various other globulins

    • Factors in hemostasis and fibrinolysis

  • Stimulators of coagulation:
  • All factors in the coagulation cascade. While the endothelium does produce some factor VIII, the majority of factor VIII is produced in the liver.
  • Inhibitors of coagulation:, inactivate an enormous variety of proteinases
  • α2-macroglobulin
  • α1-antitrypsin
  • Antithrombin III
  • Protein S
  • Protein C
  • Fibrinolysis:, breakdown of fibrin clots
  • plasminogen
  • Inhibitors of fibrinolysis
  • α2-antiplasmin
  • Complement components C1-9, Complement component 3 (C3)

    • Carrier proteins

  • Albumin, carries thyroid hormones and other hormones, particularly fat soluble ones, fatty acids to the liver, unconjugated bilirubin, many drugs and Ca2+
  • Ceruloplasmin, carries copper
  • Transcortin, carries cortisol, aldosterone and progesterone
  • Haptoglobin, carries free hemoglobin released from erythrocytes
  • Hemopexin, carries free heme released from hemoglobin
  • IGF binding protein, carries insulin-like growth factor 1
  • Major urinary proteins, carries pheromones in rodents
  • Retinol binding protein, carries retinol
  • Sex hormone-binding globulin, carries sex hormones, specifically testosterone and estradiol
  • Thyroxine-binding globulin, carries the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3’-triiodothyronine (T3)
  • Transthyretin, carries the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4)
  • Transferrin, carries iron ions in the ferric form (Fe3+)
  • Vitamin D-binding protein, carries vitamin D

    • Hormones

  • Insulin-like growth factor 1, a polypeptide protein hormone which plays an important role in childhood growth and continues to have anabolic effects in adults
  • Thrombopoietin, a glycoprotein hormone that regulates the production of platelets by the bone marrow
  • Hepcidin, a peptide hormone that regulates iron homeostasis.

    • Prohormones

  • Angiotensinogen, when converted to angiotensin causes vasoconstriction and release of aldosterone, in effect increasing blood pressure

    • Apolipoproteins

  • Almost all apolipoprotein, except apo B48 (produced by intestine)

    • References

    Proteins produced and secreted by the liver Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA