title: [Renal catabolism of albumin - current views and controversies].
abstract: Albumin is the main protein of blood plasma, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid and interstitial fluid. The protein assists in many important body functions, including maintenance of proper colloidal osmotic pressure, transport of important metabolites and antioxidant action. Synthesis of albumin takes place mainly in the liver, and its catabolism occurs mostly in vascular endothelium of muscle, skin and liver as well as in the kidney tubular epithelium. Renal catabolism of albumin consists of glomerular filtration and tubular reabsorption. The tubular processes include endocytosis via the multiligand scavenger receptor tandem megalin and cubilin-amnionless complex. Possible ways of further catabolism of this protein are lysosomal proteolysis to amino acids and short peptides, recycling of degradation products into the bloodstream and tubular lumen or transcytosis of whole molecules. The article discusses the molecular aspects of these processes and presents the controversies arising in the light of the last decade of research.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Zakład Biochemii Farmaceutycznej, Akademia Medyczna im. Piastów Śląskich we Wrocławiu. jakub.gburek@am.wroc.pl
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gburek
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gołąb
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Juszczyńska
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000378:metabolism*; D026561:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D059748:Proteolysis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D026561:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C029486:intrinsic factor-cobalamin receptor