Parvalbumin

Parvalbumin is a calcium-binding albumin protein with low molecular weight (typically 9-11 kDa).

It has three EF hand motifs and is structurally related to calmodulin and troponin C. Parvalbumin is localised in fast-contracting muscles, where its levels are highest, and in the brain and some endocrine tissues.

Parvalbumin is a small, stable protein containing EF-hand type calcium binding sites. It is involved in calcium signaling. Typically, this protein is broken into three domains, domains AB, CD and EF, each individually containing a helix-loop-helix motif. The AB domain houses a two amino-acid deletion in the loop region, whereas domains CD and EF contain the N-terminal and C-terminal, respectively. Calcium binding proteins like parvalbumin play a role in many physiological processes, namely cell-cycle regulation, second messenger production, muscle contraction, organization of microtubules and vision. They have also been found to be in connection with various areas of clinical interest such as Alzheimer’s disease, nervous system disorders, age-related cognitive defects and some forms of cancer.