Vera Pfanzagl

Research Focus

We study the structure-function relationship of human heme peroxidases using a combination of biochemical analysis, X-ray crystallography and molecular biology. Currently we focus on three proteins, Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) from the innate immune response and Thyroid peroxidas (TPO), the main enzyme catalyzing thyroid hormone production. We want to unravel the fine differences between MPO and EPO to understand their divergent function and to find exploitable structural traits for design of new selective inhibitors. The membrane bound TPO on the other hand, is not only essential for hormone biosynthesis but also a main auto-antigen in Hashimotos disease, where constant attack by auto-antibodies leads to a degradation of the thyroid gland. Here we focus on solving the crystal structure and understanding the properties of TPO in detail to understand the high prevalence of TPO associated autoimmune diseases.