Carbonic Anhydrase (CA) catalyzes the reversible reaction of CO2 + H2O = HCO3- + H+, which is fundamental to many processes such as respiration, renal tubular acidification and bone resorption (1).
Topics in a CA meeting (6th 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. CA3 is a cytosolic enzyme with a very low CA activity. It is expressed at low levels in human muscle during early development but increases rapidly during the last trimester to reach 50‑60% of adult levels at birth (2).