CLONING AND SEQUENCING OF A HUMAN THIOREDOXIN REDUCTASE

The DIVA sequence encoding human placental thioredoxin reductase has been determined. Of the 3826 base pairs sequenced, 1650 base pairs were in an open reading frame encoding a mature protein with 495 amino acids and a calculated molecular mass of 54,171. Sequence analysis showed strong similarity to glutathione reductases and other NADPH-dependent reductases. Human thioredoxin reductase contains the redox-active cysteines in the putative FAD binding domain and has a dimer interface domain not previously seen with prokaryote and lower eukaryote thioredoxin reductases.