Molecular aspects of phosphate homeostasis in mammals

Renal phosphate reabsorption, the major determinant of phosphate homeostasi s, is primarily dependent on dietary phosphate content and multiple hormona l factors. over the last few years, the identification of sodium-dependent phosphate transporters in kidney, intestine and bone, as well as new insigh ts into the molecular mechanisms involved in several hereditary hypophospha temias, allow to set up novel phosphate reabsorption regulatory pathways. T his review describes molecular players involved in these mechanisms, summar izes phosphate transport data in kidney, intestine and bone, and describes recent findings concerning the three most common hereditary hypophosphatemi as.