Properties of the thyroxine (T4) monodeiodinating system in rat liver homogenate

The monodeiodination of T4 in rat liver homogenate was studied. The two possible products of this reaction show very different properties. The metabolically very active T3 is rather stable in this system whereas the biological inactive reverse T3 (rT3) disappears very rapidly. This explains the low apparent rT3 production in the incubation mixture even under optimal conditions and the peculiar pH profile. The T4 to T3 converting reaction can be increased by the addition of mercaptoethanol to the medium; no further activation is possible by several cofactors tested. The apparent KM of the reaction is 1.6 x 10(-6) M. Reverse T3 does inhibit the reaction non competitive; Ki = 2 x 10 (10-8) M. Alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine, a specific inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase, has no significant effect on the reaction.