Comparative thyroid endocrinology

Proceedings of the 23rd Conference of European Comparative EndocrinologistsIt has been some time since comparative thyroidologists could meet in a dedicated symposium at a Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists. Compared to peptide and steroid hormones, the biological activity of iodothyronines is determined by an increasing number of components and processes. Distributor proteins, transporters, deiodinases, conjugation and deconjugation pathways, receptors, and promoters all determine cellular and tissue specific responses to thyroid hormones. The two State-of-the-Art lectures which opened the symposium were ‘‘Novel developmental and cellular targets of thyroid hormone’’ (Barbara Demeneix) and ‘‘Thyroid hormone transporters’’ (Theo Visser). These had common themes reviewing new developments in the complexities of thyroid hormone signaling pathways