Multiple functions of thioredoxins.

Reduced thioredoxins from microbial and plant cells, both of cytoplasmic or chloroplast origin, are interchangeable in stimulating such diverse enzyme activities as ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase (E. coli), PAPS sulfotransferase (Synechococcus), and fructose-1,6-bis-phosphatase (from spinach) in vitro. It is suggested that reduced thioredoxins are unspecific, multifunctional cellular proteins while in contrast the oxidized froms require specific enzymes for their reduction.