Abstract
AbstractLactose is the primary carbohydrate in the milk of most mammals and is unique in that it is only synthesized by epithelial cells in the mammary glands. Lactose is also essential for the development and nutrition of infants. Across species, the concentration of lactose in milk holds a strong positive correlation with overall milk volume. Additionally, there is a range of examples where the onset of lactose synthesis as well as the content of lactose in milk varies between species and throughout a lactation. Despite this diversity, the precursors, genes, proteins and ions that regulate lactose synthesis have not received the depth of study they likely deserve relative to the significance of this simple and abundant molecule. Through this review, our objective is to highlight the requirements for lactose synthesis at the biochemical, cellular and temporal levels through a comparative approach. This overview also serves as the prelude to a companion review describing the dietary, hormonal, molecular, and genetic factors that regulate lactose synthesis.
Funder
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
University of California, Davis Henry A. Jastro Graduate Research Award
Daniel T. O’Connor, M.D. Memorial Research Grant
UCDavis-University of Sydney Priority Partnerships Collaboration Award
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Cited by
11 articles.
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