Carboxylation is a standard conversion in
organic chemistry.[3] Specifically carbonation (i.e. carboxylation) of
Grignard reagents and organolithium compounds is a classic way to convert organic halides into carboxylic acids.[4]
Another example is the
posttranslational modification of
glutamate residues, to
γ-carboxyglutamate, in proteins. It occurs primarily in proteins involved in the
blood clotting cascade, specifically factors II, VII, IX, and X, protein C, and protein S, and also in some bone proteins. This modification is required for these proteins to function. Carboxylation occurs in the
liver and is performed by
γ-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX).[14] GGCX requires
vitamin K as a cofactor and performs the reaction in a processive manner.[15] γ-carboxyglutamate binds calcium, which is essential for its activity.[16] For example, in
prothrombin, calcium binding allows the protein to associate with the
plasma membrane in
platelets, bringing it into close proximity with the proteins that cleave prothrombin to active
thrombin after injury.[17]
^"Carboxylation: The introduction of a carboxyl group into a molecule or compound to form a carboxylic acid or a carboxylate; an instance of this."
Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2018.
^"Carbonation: Impregnation or treatment with carbon dioxide; conversion into a carbonate."
Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2018.
^Braunstein, Pierre; Matt, Dominique; Nobel, Dominique (August 1988). "Reactions of Carbon Dioxide with Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation Catalyzed by Transition-Metal Complexes". Chemical Reviews. 88 (5): 747–764.
doi:
10.1021/cr00087a003.