Endogenous electrophiles and peroxymonocarbonate can link tyrosine phosphorylation cascades with the cytosolic TXNRD1 selenoprotein and the KEAP1/NRF2 system.

Endogenously formed reactive molecules, such as lipid peroxides, 4-hydroxynonenal, methylglyoxal and other reactive oxygen species, can have major effects on cells. Accumulation of these molecules is counteracted by antioxidant enzymes, including the glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin (Trx) systems, in turn regulated by the KEAP1/NRF2 system. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) and their counteracting protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) are also modulated through redox regulation of PTP activities. The cytosolic selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD1) is particularly prone to attack at its easily accessible catalytic selenocysteine (Sec) residue by reactive electrophilic compounds. Therefore, we here discuss how endogenously formed electrophiles can modulate RTK/PTP signaling in a concentration- and time dependent manner by reactions either directly or indirectly linking TXNRD1 with the KEAP1/NRF2 system. Moreover, recent findings suggest that endogenous formation of peroxymonocarbonate can efficiently inhibit PTP activities and stimulate RTK signaling, seemingly bypassing PTP reduction as otherwise supported by the GSH/Trx systems.