Thyroid peroxidase as a dual active site enzyme: Focus on biosynthesis, hormonogenesis and thyroid disorders of autoimmunity and cancer

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is the key enzyme involved in thyroid hormone synthesis. Autoantibodies to TPO (TPOAbs) are a hallmark of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Here, we highlight recent progress over several years in understanding TPO biochemistry and function in various pathologies. TPO undergoes complex post-translational modifications as a dimer in endoplasmic reticulum during secretory pathway to apical membrane of thyrocytes. In silico modelling of TPO dimer has provided new information into the two enzyme active site regions and autoantigenic determinants. TPO and hydrogen peroxide generating DUOX and caveolin-1 form a complex known as thyroxisome to bring together in close proximity the components of hormone synthesis in apical membrane. Autoimmunity to TPO is characterised by autoantibodies and T cell reactivity in Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease. TPOAbs are directed predominantly to two immunodominant determinants (IDR) termed IDR-A and IDR-B regions, with the latter antibodies more predominant in autoimmune disease. Strong genetic risk has been shown to be associated with TPOAbs for AITD development. A different antibody with unusual features of bispecificity for both TPO and thyroglobulin may play protective role in Hashimoto's disease. In the context of TPO biology in human cancer, thyroid tumor tissue and breast cancer differ in TPO expression and isoform composition. In thyroid cancer, TPO expression is decreased partly by the BRAF(V600E) mutation, with direct impact on significant hormone production. TPOAbs may play a protective role in breast cancer development. An understanding of TPO and its unique two enzymatic active sites and autoantigenic determinants continues to add new knowledge on the biochemistry and immunology of this enzyme.