SUGER: Week 5 Flashcards
Where are the thyroid glands located
Immediately below the larynx and anterior to the trachea
What two major hormones do they produce
Thyroxine
Triiodothyronine
How do these hormones differ from each other
They have a similar function but differ in ACTION INTENSITY
What pituitary hormone controls secretion of thyroid hormones
TSH
Where is TSH produced
The anterior pituitary glands
What are the right and left lobes of the thyroid glands connected by
A narrow isthmus
What is the thyroid gland composed of
Large numbers of closed follicles
What cell synthesises colloid
cuboidal epithelial cells
Where are these cuboidal epithelial cells found
Lining the thyroid glands
What is colloid?
A large glycoprotein made up of ‘thyroglobulin’
Outline the movement of secretions in the thyroid glands to target cells
Move from follicles into follicular epithelium and then into the blood
What cell produces calcitonin and where are they found
C-cells in the thyroid glands
Role of calcitonin
Contributes to the regulation of plasma Ca2+ conc
What element is needed for the production of thyroxine
Iodine
What is the first stage of thyroxine synthesis
The movement of one iodide ion and two sodium ions into a cell via a sodium-iodide symporter
How does ingested iodine circulate in the blood
Bound to albumin
What happens to unwanted iodine
Excreted by the kidneys
Where are Na-I symporters found
Basolateral membrane of the thyroid follicular cells
Does the pump require ATP?
Yes
What does an increase in cellular iodide conc. result in?
Increased thyroid gland activity
What hormone affects the iodide pumping rate
TSH
What happens to this iodide after entering the cell
It’s moved to the opposite side of the cell and is moved out of the cell into the follicle via a pump called Pendrin
What organelles produce thyroglobulin in the thyroid cells
The golgi apparatus and Endoplasmic Reticulum
Where is thyroglobulin secreted
Into follicles
How many amino acids does each thyroglobulin consist of
70
What amino acids are these
Tyrosine
How do these thyroglobulin molecules form thyroid hormones
By binding to iodide ions
What must happen to iodide ions before they can bind to the tyrosine amino acids
They need to be oxidised
What two substances catalyse this oxidation reaction
Peroxidase and H2O2
What follows ioidide oxidation
Organification
What is organification
The adding of successive iodine to the tyrosine amino acids
Tyrosine -> Monoidodotyrosine -> Diiodotyrosine -> triiodotyronine -> Thyroxine
What is thyroxine also known as and why?
T4 - Has four iodide ions attached
When does storage of thyroglobulin occur
After synthesis of thyroid hormones stop
What do these thyroglobulins store
Thyroxine and triiodothyronine
Is thyroglobulin secreted into the blood
No, thyroxine and triiodotyronine are cleaved from thyroglobulin and are released
What enzyme breaks down the thyroglobulin
Proteases
What is the role of colloids
Acts as a ‘reserve; of thyroid hormones
How do colloids enter the thyroid cells
Endocytosis by binding to megalin receptors
What happens to these colloids when needed
They move to the opposite side of the cell and are released into the blood
NOTE: Megalin remains bound to colloid the entire time
What happens to the monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine
They are not needed so they are cleaved in order for the iodide to be recycled
What is the main effect of thyroid hormones
They activate nuclear transcription of a large number of genes
Does thyroxine bind to intracellular receptors in its current form?
No, it loses one iodide to form triiodothyronine
Why is thyroxine converted to triiodothyronine
Because the intracellular thyroid receptors have a HIGHER AFFINITY for triiodothyronine
What does triiodothyronine bind to
RXR receptors at a specific THYROID HORMONE RESPONSE ELEMENT on the DNA
What occurs following binding to this promotor site
Transcription
What are deiodinases
These are enzymes that add or release iodide ions from a molecules
What types of deiodinases are responsible for converting thyroxine to triiodotyronine
D1, D2, D3
What two compounds join together to give T4
DIT + DIT
What two compounds join together to give T3
MIT + DIT
Name a few roles of the thyroid hormones
Increased mitochondrial activity Decreased conc of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides in plasma Increased BMR Decreased Body Weight Increased HR Increased CO Increased rate of respiration
Describe the negative feedback process of thyroxine and triiodothyronine
Look in book
How does hyperthyroidism/hypothyroidism affect serum TSH, T4 and T3 levels
Hypo:
Increased TSH
Decreased T4 and T3
Hyper:
Decreased TSH
Increased T4 and T3
Where are parathyroid glands found
Within the thyroid gland
Role of parathyroid glands
Regulate Ca2+ and PO43- ion levels
When do they start secreting PTH
Low ca2+ levels
High Po4 levels
How does PTH cause an increase in Ca2+
Increased reabsorption at kidney distal tubules
Increased reabsorption at intestines
Increased release of calcium from the bones
Decreased PO4 reabsorption
Describe the calcium ion negative feedback loop
Check book
What is FGF23e
Fibroblast growth factor 23
Secreted in response to increased calcitriol levels which act on kidney tubules to reduce reabsorption of phosphate
How many AA are found in PTH
84
How many of these are biologically active
34
What happens to PTH
Cleaved
What does PTH bind to
G coupled receptors in kidneys and osteoblasts
Affect of PTH at kidneys
Increased Ca reabsorption
Decreased PO4 reabsorption
Production of vitamin D as activated 1,25(OH)2D
Role of 1,25 (OH)2D
Inhibits transcription of PTH into RNA
What inhibits translation of PTH mRNA
High calcium ion levels
What is the first step in insulin production
Translation of insulin RNA to form PREPROINSULIN
Where is this cleaved to Proinsulin
At the RER
What peptides does proinsulin consist of
A, B and C peptides
Where is proinsulin cleaved to insulin at?
The golgi apparatus
What are the products of cleavage of proinsulin
Insulin (A and B peptides) and a C-peptide
What are the A and B peptide chains attached by
Disulfide Bridges
Label the stages of insulin secretion by the beta cells
- Voltage-Gated Ca2+ channels + ATP-sensitive K+ channels are found in the membrane
- Ca2+ are closed while K+ are open
- K+ diffuses out of the cell down a conc gradient making the inside more negative
- When glucose conc. is high, it enters the cell by FACILITATED DIFFUSION via GLUT2
- Glucose is used by the cell in GLYCOLYSIS producing glucose-6-phosphate
- This increases ATP levels
- Increase in ATP to ADP ratio
- ATP-sensitive K+ channels close when ratio rises
- K+ accumulates in the cell causing it to DEPOLARISE
- Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels open
- Ca2+ enter the cell and insulin is released via EXOCYTOSIS
What enzyme catalyse glycolysis in beta cells
Hexokinase
Normal resting potential of beta cells
-70mV
What does insulin release being ‘biphasic’ mean
First phase - Rapid release of stored insulin into th eblood
Second phase - Slower release as this is the release of newly-synthesised hormones
Describe insulin action in muscles and fat cells
- Insulin binds to receptors on the plasma membrane
- This causes an intracellular cascade by signaling molecules
- More expression of GLUT4 channels on plasma membrane
- Glucose enters the cell via GLUT4 channels
What acts as a short-term buffer to increased glucose levels
liver glycogenesis
What acts as a long-term buffer to increased glucose levels
Lipogenesis (production of triglycerides)
Where are primary glucose sensors found
Islets of Langerhans
Where are sensors to glucose also found
Medulla, hypothalamus and carotid bodies
Where do glucose sensors receive inputs from
Eyes, nose, taste buds and gut
What are incretins
Hormones that augment release of insulin by pancreas and further suppress release of glucagon
Where are incretins found?
In the gut
Do incretins respond to glucose plasma conc?
No, they monitor glucose levels in the gut tract
Name two examples of incretins
GIP and GLP-1
How many amino acids are present in GLP-1
30