Peroxiredoxin 1 is a member of the ubiquitous peroxiredoxin family of thiol peroxidases that catalyse the reduction of peroxides. In recent years eukaryotic peroxiredoxins have emerged as a critical component of cellular redox signalling, particularly in response to alterations in production of hydrogen peroxide. Peroxiredoxins are exquisitely sensitive to oxidation by hydrogen peroxide making them key peroxide sensing enzymes within cells. Evidence gathered over the last decade suggests that in addition to sensing the redox signal, peroxiredoxins have a major role in transducing this signal to downstream signalling proteins, ultimately contributing to regulation of diverse cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In this review we present the three current models for the sensing and signal transducing roles of peroxiredoxins, with a specific focus on mammalian peroxiredoxin 1. The evidence for each mechanism is discussed and areas for future work are identified.
Keywords: Disulfide exchange; Hydrogen peroxide; Peroxiredoxin; Redox signalling.
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