Reductase activity of human thioredoxin-like protein and its effects on cell apoptosis

Thioredoxin is a ubiquitous dithiol oxidoreductase found in many organisms and involved in numerous biochemical processes. Human thioredoxin-like protein (hTRXL) is differentially expressed at different development stages of human fetal cerebrum and belongs to an expanding family of thioredoxins. Recombinant hTRXL and truncated hTRXLs corresponding to the N-terminal (hTRXL-N) and C-terminal (hTRXL-C) domains are expressed and purified. In insulin disulfide reduction assay, both full-length hTRXL and hTRXL-N show reducing activity for the insulin disulfide bonds. As expected, the hTRXL-C failed to reduce insulin. MCF-7 cell stably transfected with hTRXL cDNA exhibits increased sensitivity to apoptosis induced by phorbol myristic acetate (PMA) and ionomysin.