Although excess amounts of oxidative stress damage proteins and nucleotides, small amounts of oxidative stress transduce intracellular signals for cellular activation, differentiation and proliferation. Reduction/oxidation(redox) regulation is defined as a biological response to maintain homeostasis against oxidative stress. Thioredoxin, a 12kD small protein with a redox-active dithiol/disulfide in the conserved active site: -Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys-, is a key molecule for redox regulation as well as glutathione(GSH). Thio-redoxin is induced by a variety of oxidative stresses and secreted from cells. Thioredoxin plays crucial roles as a redox-regulator of intracellular signal transduction and as a radical scavenger. Plasma levels of thioredoxin are good biomarkers for oxidative stress. Thioredoxin-transgenic mice are more resistant to cerebral infarction, infection or inflammation and survive longer than control mice. Administration of thio-redoxin may have a good potential for anti-aging and anti-stress effects. Redox regulation mechanisms by thioredoxin and other thioredoxin family members will clarify the pathophysiology of oxidativestress-associated disorders.

*Laboratory of Infection and Prevention, Department of Biological Responses, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507