Answer:
True
Step-by-step explanation:
The calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CALCA) gene is used to encode different peptide sequences (i.e., calcitonin hormone, calcitonin-related peptides and katacalcin) through alternative RNA splicing. These peptides have different functions. Calcitonin is a hormone mainly produced by cells of the thyroid gland, which is involved in the control of levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood. Moreover, katacalcin is a peptide synthesized from the same precursor of calcitonin (and therefore also mainly produced by cells of the thyroid gland), which is implicated in both calcium regulation and skeletal maintenance. Finally, the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a peptide mainly produced by sensory nerves (type Aδ fibers ), which is involved in pain pathways. The CALCA gene has attracted considerable attention from geneticists because it is specifically expressed in neuroendocrine tissues in normal conditions and abnormally induced in septic conditions (i.e., during the body's extreme response to an infection).