rhMPO, CF (250 ug)

Background: Myeloperoxidase/MPO

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a heme-containing enzyme belonging to the XPO subfamily of peroxidases. It is an abundant neutrophil and monocyte glycoprotein that catalyzes the hydrogen peroxide-dependent conversion of chloride, bromide, and iodide to multiple reactive species (1). Post-translational processing of MPO involves the insertion of a heme moiety and the proteolytic removal of both a propeptide and a 6 aa internal peptide (2). This results in a disulfide-linked dimer composed of a 60 kDa heavy and 12 kDa light chain that associate into a 150 kDa enzymatically active tetramer. The tetramer contains two heme groups and one disulfide bond between the heavy chains (2). Alternate splicing generates two additional isoforms of MPO, one with a 32 aa insertion in the light chain, and another with a deletion of the signal sequence and part of the propeptide (3). Human and mouse MPO share 87% aa sequence identity. MPO activity results in protein nitrosylation and the formation of 3-chlorotyrosine and dityrosine crosslinks (4‑6). Modification of ApoB100, as well as the lipid and cholesterol components of LDL and HDL, promotes the development of atherosclerosis (5, 7‑9). MPO is also associated with a variety of other diseases (1), and inhibits vasodilation in inflammation by depleting the levels of NO (10). Serum albumin functions as a carrier protein during MPO movement to the basolateral side of epithelial cells (11). MPO is stored in neutrophil azurophilic granules. Upon cellular activation, it is deposited into pathogen-containing phagosomes (2). While mice lacking MPO are impaired in clearing select microbial infections, MPO deficiency in humans does not necessarily result in heightened susceptibility to infections (12, 13).