Binding Affinities
It functions in concert with two other thyroid hormone-binding proteins in the serum:
| Protein | Binding strength | Plasma concentration |
|---|---|---|
| thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) | highest | lowest |
| transthyretin (TTR) | lower | higher |
| albumin | poorest | much higher |
In cerebrospinal fluid TTR is the primary carrier of T4. TTR also acts as a carrier of retinol (vitamin A) through its association with retinol-binding protein (RBP) in the blood and the CSF. Less than 1% of TTR's T4 binding sites are occupied in blood, which is taken advantage of below to prevent TTRs dissociation, misfolding and aggregation which leads to the degeneration of post-mitotic tissue.
Numerous other small molecules are known to bind in the thyroxine binding sites, including many natural products (such as resveratrol), drugs (Tafamidis, or Vyndaqel, diflunisal, flufenamic acid), and toxins (PCB).
Read more about this topic: Transthyretin
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