Description
Menaquinone 9 (MK-9) is a vitamin K
2 analog that has been found in various bacteria, including
E. coli. MK-9 is UV-sensitive and binds to soluble nitrate reductase, a component of the bacterial electron transport chain.
In vivo, MK-9 increases plasma prothrombin concentration in vitamin K-deficient rats.
Uses
Menaquinones are isoprenoid quinones of the naphthalene series and belongs to the K2 Vitamin homologs. Menaquinones were originally discovered as the anti-hemorrhagic factor and now encompasses a variety of physiological processes. Menaquinone 9 is a form of vitamin K2 which acts as a prothrombogenic agent and is also a functional electron transfer component in nitrate reductase.
