Biochemical properties of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) expressed in human breast and mammary-derived cell lines

PLoS One. 2018 Mar 7;13(3):e0193624. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193624. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is an enzyme and autoantigen expressed in thyroid and breast tissues. Thyroid TPO undergoes a complex maturation process however, nothing is known about post-translational modifications of breast-expressed TPO. In this study, we have investigated the biochemical properties of TPO expressed in normal and cancerous human breast tissues, and the maturation process and antigenicity of TPO present in a panel of human breast tissue-derived cell lines. We found that the molecular weight of breast TPO was slightly lower than that of thyroid TPO due to decreased glycosylation and as suggest results of Western blot also shorter amino acid chain. Breast TPO exhibit enzymatic activity and isoelectric point comparable to that of thyroid TPO. The biochemical properties of TPO expressed in mammary cell lines and normal thyrocytes are similar regarding glycan content, molecular weight and isoelectric point. However, no peroxidase activity and dimer formation was detected in any of these cell lines since the majority of TPO protein was localized in the cytoplasmic compartment, and the TPO expression at the cell surface was too low to detect its enzymatic activity. Lactoperoxidase, a protein highly homologous to TPO expressed also in breast tissues, does not influence the obtained data. TPO expressed in the cell lines was recognized by a broad panel of TPO-specific antibodies. Although some differences in biochemical properties between thyroid and breast TPO were observed, they do not seem to be critical for the overall three-dimensional structure. This conclusion is supported by the fact that TPO expressed in breast tissues and cell lines reacts well with conformation-sensitive antibodies. Taking into account a close resemblance between both proteins, especially high antigenicity, future studies should investigate the potential immunotherapies directed against breast-expressed TPO and its specific epitopes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blotting, Western
  • Breast / chemistry*
  • Breast / metabolism
  • Breast / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane / chemistry
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / pathology
  • Cytoplasm / chemistry
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Cytoplasm / pathology
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Iodide Peroxidase / chemistry*
  • Iodide Peroxidase / metabolism
  • Lactoperoxidase / chemistry
  • Lactoperoxidase / metabolism
  • Molecular Weight
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism
  • Thyroid Epithelial Cells / chemistry
  • Thyroid Epithelial Cells / metabolism

Substances

  • Polysaccharides
  • Lactoperoxidase
  • Iodide Peroxidase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Center of Postgraduate Medical Education (grant number 501-1-25-01-16). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.