Development of thyroid hormone gradients in the nervous system
It is known that thyroid hormone (TH) signalling is compartmentalized in the brain; glial cells are responsible for type 2 deiodinase (D2)-mediated TH activation, while neurons regulate their intracellular TH levels by type 3 deiodinase (D3) catalyzed inactivation. Little is known however on how TH are presented to neurons and how the active and inactive forms of TH are transported between cells and brain regions.
Our aim is to understand the mechanisms underlying the formation of brain area-specific TH signalling gradients. In this context, we aim to elucidate the background of intracellular TH transport in neurons. These processes may also play a role in the negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis.