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Virginia Tech

Extrathyroidal thyroid hormone activation in ring doves

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The characteristics of 5’deiodinase (5’D) were studied in the postmitochondrial fraction (PMF) of liver homogenates from adult and developing ring doves (Streptopelia risoria). The 5’D assays were performed in the presence of abundant substrate, reverse triiodothyronine (rT3), cofactor (dithiothreitol) and trace amounts of I¹²⁵-rT3. 5’D activity was measured as I¹²⁵ released from the labelled rT3 during the assay incubation time. The 5’D assay was validated for all ages studied to assure that the initial reaction velocity of the enzyme was measured. Using the validated assay conditions the following characteristics were found in adult doves: the apparent K<sub>m</sub> was 0.44 μM rT3, V<sub>max</sub> was 255 pmol rT3 degraded/min-mg PMF protein. The 5’D activity was completely inhibited by 1.0 mM PTU and 50% inhibited by the addition of 18.0 μM thyroxine (T4) in the presence of 4.0 μM rT3. Activity was maximal at pH 8.04 and at 37.5 C. The K<sub>m</sub> of the enzyme did not change throughout development (1 day prehatch to adult). The 5’D specific activity (rT3 degraded/min-mg PMF protein) was highest during early development (1 day prehatch to 7 days post-hatch), after which it gradually decreased with increasing age. The liver 5’D activity/gram of body weight was highest during the first seven days posthatch. This period of high potential triiodothyronine (T3) production corresponds with the observed period of greatest increase in plasma thyroid hormone concentrations during the first 6-8 days posthatch in ring doves. These results are the first demonstration of initial velocity 5’D activity during development in an altricial bird species and demonstrate a correlation between hepatic 5’D activity and plasma thyroid hormone concentrations during development in ring doves.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Biology
Department dc:contributor.department
Biology
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1990

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Rieman, James Davis

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-03142009-040750
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/41625

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Rieman, James Davis. Extrathyroidal thyroid hormone activation in ring doves. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/41625