Recombinant Human Carbonic Anhydrase VII Protein, CF

Carbonic anhydrase catalyzes the reversible reaction of CO₂ + H₂O = HCO₃^- + H⁺, which is fundamental to many processes such as respiration, renal tubular acidification and bone resorption (2). Topics in a CA meeting (6^th International Conference on the CAs, June 20-25, 2003, Slovakia) ranged from the use of CAs as markers for tumor and hypoxia in the clinic, as a nutritional supplement in milk, and as a tool for CO₂ removal and mosquito control in industry. Carbonic Anhydrase VII encoded by the CA7 gene is a cytosolic protein predominantly expressed in the salivary gland (1). CA7 may have additional tissue distributions and functions. For example, studies with CA inhibitors provide evidence that human CA7 is the CA isozyme responsible for the anticonvulsant/antiepileptic activity of sulfonamides and sulfamates (3). In fact, CA7 has been shown in a rat model to act as a developmental switch in GABAergic signaling in neurons (4, 5). The amino acid sequence of human CA7 is 95%, 94%, 89%, 76%, 72% and 70% identical to that of bovine, rat/mouse, canine, chicken, Xenopus, and zebrafish.