Serum Osteocalcin in 1634 Healthy Children

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Abstract
Osteocalcin or bone Gla protein (BGP) is a vitamin K-dependent, low-molecular-mass (5800 Da), 49 amino acid peptide synthesized by osteoblasts (1)(2). Osteocalcin contains three residues of γ-carboxyglutamate, which provide the point of interaction between the BGP and hydroxyapatite in the extracellular bone matrix. The 19–20 and 43–44 residues provide sites for the tryptic hydrolysis; the resulting peptides may be the products of liver, kidney, and plasmatic breakdown of the molecule. The physiological role of these fragments is unknown.