Iodothyronine deiodinase

Iodothyronine deiodinases (

These enzymes are not to be confused with the iodotyrosine deiodinases that are also deiodinases, but not members of the iodothyronine family. The iodotyrosine deiodinases (unlike the iodothyronine deiodinases) do not use selenocysteine or selenium. The iodotyrosine enzymes work on iodinated single tyrosine residue molecules to scavenge iodine, and do not use as substrates the double-tyrosine residue molecules of the various iodothyronines.

Activation and inactivation

In tissues, deiodinases can either activate or inactivate thyroid hormones:

• Activation occurs by conversion of
  thyroxine (T₄) to the active hormone triiodothyronine (T₃) through the removal of an iodine
  atom on the outer ring.
• Inactivation of thyroid hormones occurs by removal of an iodine atom on the inner ring, which converts thyroxine to the inactive reverse triiodothyronine (rT₃), or which converts the active triiodothyronine to diiodothyronine (T₂).

The major part of

Deiodinase 2 activity can be regulated by ubiquitination:

• The covalent attachment of
  proteosome.^[7]
• Deubiquitination removing ubiquitin from D2 restores its activity and prevents proteosomal degradation.[7]
• The Hedgehog cascade acts to increase D2 ubiquitination through WSB1 activity, decreasing D2 activity.^[7][8]

D-propranolol inhibits thyroxine deiodinase, thereby blocking the conversion of T₄ to T₃, providing some though minimal therapeutic effect.^{[citation needed]}

Reactions

Structure

The three deiodinase enzymes share certain structural features in common although their sequence identity is lower than 50%. Each enzyme weighs between 29 and 33kDa.

The related catalytic domains of Deiodinases 1-3 feature a thioredoxine-related peroxiredoxin fold.[13] The enzymes catalyze a reductive elimination of iodine, thereby oxidizing themselves similar to Prx, followed by a reductive recycling of the enzyme.

Types

In most vertebrates, there are three types of enzymes that can deiodinate thyroid hormones:

Function

Deiodinase 1 both activates T₄ to produce T₃ and inactivates T₄. Besides its increased function in producing extrathyroid T₃ in patients with hyperthyroidism, its function is less well understood than D2 or D3 ^[2][7] Deiodinase 2, located in the ER membrane, converts T₄ into T₃ and is a major source of the cytoplasmic T₃ pool.^[2] Deiodinase 3 prevents T₄ activation and inactivates T₃.^[9] D2 and D3 are important in homeostatic regulation in maintaining T₃ levels at the plasma and cellular levels. In hyperthyroidism D2 is down regulated and D3 is upregulated to clear extra T₃, while in hypothyroidism D2 is upregulated and D3 is downregulated to increase cytoplasmic T₃ levels.^[2][7]

Serum T₃ levels remain fairly constant in healthy individuals, but D2 and D3 can regulate tissue specific intracellular levels of T₃ to maintain homeostasis since T₃ and T₄ levels may vary by organ. Deiodinases also provide spatial and temporal developmental control of thyroid hormone levels. D3 levels are highest early in development and decrease over time, while D2 levels are high at moments of significant metamorphic change in tissues. Thus D2 enables production of sufficient T₃ at necessary time points while D3 may shield tissue from overexposure to T₃.^[12]

Also, iodothyronine deiodinases (type 2 y 3; DIO2 and DIO3, respectively) respond to seasonal changes in photoperiod-driven melatonin secretion and govern peri-hypothalamic catabolism of the prohormone thyroxine (T4). In long summer days, the production of hypothalamic T3 increase due to DIO-2-mediated conversion of T4 to the biologically active hormone. This process allows to active anabolic neuroendocrine pathways that maintain reproductive competence and increase body weight. However, during the adaptation to reproductively inhibitory photoperiods, the levels of T3 decrease due to peri-hypothalamic DIO3 expression that catabolizes T4 and T3 into receptor inactive amines.^[17][18]

Deiodinase 2 also plays a significant role in thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). In response to sympathetic stimulation, dropping temperature, or overfeeding BAT, D2 increases oxidation of fatty acids and uncouples oxidative phosphorylation via uncoupling protein, causing mitochondrial heat production. D2 increases during cold stress in BAT and increases intracellular T₃ levels. In D2 deficient models, shivering is a behavioral adaptation to the cold. However, heat production is much less efficient than uncoupling lipid oxidation.^[19][20]

Disease relevance

In cardiomyopathy the heart reverts to a fetal gene programming due to the overload of the heart. Like during fetal development, thyroid hormone levels are low in the overloaded heart tissue in a local hypothyroid state, with low levels of deiodinase 1 and deiodinase 2. Although deiodinase 3 levels in a normal heart are generally low, in cardiomyopathy deiodinase 3 activity is increased to decrease energy turnover and oxygen consumption.^[7]

Hypothyroidism is a disease diagnosed by decreased levels of serum thyroxine (T₄). Presentation in adults leads to decreased metabolism, increased weight gain, and neuropsychiatric complications.

• Iodotyrosine deiodinase
• Selenium, section Evolution in biology

References