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Review
. 2009 Nov;11(11):2741-58.
doi: 10.1089/ars.2009.2683.

Redox regulation of cell survival by the thioredoxin superfamily: an implication of redox gene therapy in the heart

Md Kaimul Ahsan  1 , Istvan Lekli, Diptarka Ray, Junji Yodoi, Dipak K Das
Affiliations
Review

Redox regulation of cell survival by the thioredoxin superfamily: an implication of redox gene therapy in the heart

Md Kaimul Ahsan et al. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2009 Nov.

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the key mediators of pathogenesis in cardiovascular diseases. Members of the thioredoxin superfamily take an active part in scavenging reactive oxygen species, thus playing an essential role in maintaining the intracellular redox status. The alteration in the expression levels of thioredoxin family members and related molecules constitute effective biomarkers in various diseases, including cardiovascular complications that involve oxidative stress. Thioredoxin, glutaredoxin, peroxiredoxin, and glutathione peroxidase, along with their isoforms, are involved in interaction with the members of metabolic and signaling pathways, thus making them attractive targets for clinical intervention. Studies with cells and transgenic animals have supported this notion and raised the hope for possible gene therapy as modern genetic medicine. Of all the molecules, thioredoxins, glutaredoxins, and peroxiredoxins are emphasized, because a growing body of evidence reveals their essential and regulatory role in several steps of redox regulation. In this review, we discuss some pertinent observations regarding their distribution, structure, functions, and interactions with the several survival- and death-signaling pathways, especially in the myocardium.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertonline.com/ars).
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
Monothiol-dithiol redox mechanism of glutaredoxin systems. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertonline.com/ars).
FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.
Cellular distribution of thioredoxin-glutaredoxin family proteins. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertonline.com/ars).
FIG. 4.
FIG. 4.
Redox regulation by thioredoxin-glutaredoxin family proteins in myocardial cells. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertonline.com/ars).
FIG. 5.
FIG. 5.
Antiinflammatory function of recombinant or circulatory human thioredoxin-glutaredoxin family proteins. Those are maximally oxidized proteins lacking antioxidant function. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertonline.com/ars).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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