ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the possible steps of redox control that can link an oxidative burst with modulations of the mammalian thioredoxin system. The two major reductive systems in mammalian cells are the thioredoxin and glutathione systems, which are generally complementary to each other in life supporting functions but may differ in the context of signaling. First, it focuses on the thioredoxin system, which is constituted of isoenzymes of NADPH-dependent selenoprotein thioredoxin reductases with their primary substrates, which in turn modulate a large number of secondary target molecules by redox control. Second, it discusses the possible molecular mechanisms of links between an oxidative burst of H2O2 and the modulation of cellular signaling pathways by the thioredoxin system. Rearrangements of actin polymerization and the cellular cytoskeleton are intimately linked with signaling pathways that result in an altered cellular phenotype. All signaling pathways that alter cellular phenotypes converge upon transcription factors that ultimately regulate cell fate as a result of altered transcriptional programs.
