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Vitamin D: an ancient hormone.

Daniel D Bikle¹

¹San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California at San Francisco, CA, USA. daniel.bikle@ucsf.edu

Experimental Dermatology

|January 4, 2011

Summary

Vitamin D signaling evolved to manage cellular calcium, crucial for organismal complexity and evolution. This ancient pathway ensures calcium homeostasis across diverse life forms.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Molecular Endocrinology
Calcium Homeostasis

Background:

Vitamin D has been produced by plants and animals since early life.
The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is present in most cells of higher animals.
Vitamin D's active form, 1,25(OH)2D, is widely produced and influences diverse physiological functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the evolutionary origins and unifying theme of vitamin D signaling.
To propose that vitamin D signaling evolved primarily for calcium regulation.

Main Methods:

This is a viewpoint article, presenting a theoretical argument based on existing biological knowledge.
It synthesizes information on vitamin D's historical presence, VDR distribution, and cellular calcium regulation mechanisms.

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Isolation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Alveolar Periosteum and Effects of Vitamin D on Osteogenic Activity of Periosteum-derived Cells

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Main Results:

All cells maintain stable intracellular calcium concentrations, regulated by specific transport proteins.
Animals with skeletons have dynamic calcium needs throughout their life cycles.
Vitamin D signaling provides a mechanism to manage calcium flux, storage, and signaling.

Conclusions:

Vitamin D signaling evolved as a critical system for regulating organismal calcium.
Effective calcium regulation by vitamin D is fundamental to evolutionary adaptation and complexity.