Background: Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a novel group of peroxidases containing high antioxidant efficiency. The mammalian Prx family has six distinct members (Prx I-VI) in various subcellular locations, including peroxisomes and mitochondria, places where oxidative stress is most evident. The function of Prx I in particular has been implicated in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Since thioredoxin1 (Trx1) as an electron donor is functionally associated with Prx I, we investigated levels of expression of both Prx I and Trx1.

Three different molecular masses (24, 22, and 20 kDa) of antioxidant proteins were purified in Escherichia coli. These proteins exhibited the preventive effects against the inactivation of glutamine synthetase activity and the cleavage of DNA by a metal-catalyzed oxidation system capable of generating reactive oxygen species. Their antioxidant activities were supported by a thiol-reducing equivalent such as dithiothreitol. Analysis of the amino-terminal amino acid sequences and the immunoblots between 24-and 22-kDa proteins indicates that the 24-kDa protein is an intact form of the 22-kDa protein that was previously identified 22-kDa subunit (AhpC) of E. coli alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC/ AhpF). We isolated and sequenced an E. coli genomic DNA fragment that encodes 20-kDa protein. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the 20-kDa protein with that of AhpC revealed no sequence homology.A search of a data bank showed that the 20-kDa protein is a new type of antioxidant enzyme. The synthesis of this novel 20-kDa protein was increased in response to oxygen stress during growth. The 20-kDa protein resides mainly in the periplasmic space of E. coli, whereas the 24-kDa AhpC resides mainly in the matrix. The 20-kDa protein was functionally linked to the thioredoxin as an in vivo thiol-regenerating system and exerted a peroxidase activity. This 20-kDa protein is thus named "thiol peroxidase," which could act as an antioxidant enzyme removing peroxides or H 2 O 2 within the catalase-and peroxidase-deficient periplasmic space of E. coli.

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