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AOP: 485
Title
Thyroid hormone antagonism leading to impaired oligodendrocyte maturation during development and subsequent decreased cognition
Short name
Graphical Representation
Point of Contact
Contributors
- Eliska Kuchovska
- Jördis Klose
Coaches
OECD Information Table
| OECD Project # | OECD Status | Reviewer's Reports | Journal-format Article | OECD iLibrary Published Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This AOP was last modified on April 27, 2026 07:15
Revision dates for related pages
| Page | Revision Date/Time |
|---|---|
| Antagonism, Thyroid Receptor | April 27, 2026 05:19 |
| Decreased, thyroid hormone binding to thyroid hormone receptor | February 21, 2023 10:39 |
| Decreased, myelin basic protein expression in oligodendrocytes | February 21, 2023 10:41 |
| Impaired, oligodendrocyte maturation | February 21, 2023 10:42 |
| Hypomyelination | February 21, 2023 10:48 |
| Altered, white brain matter | February 21, 2023 10:50 |
| Cognitive function, decreased | July 25, 2024 17:23 |
| 3,3′,5,5′ tetrabromobisphenol A | February 21, 2023 10:30 |
| NH-375 | February 21, 2023 10:31 |
Abstract
AOP Development Strategy
Context
Included in OECD Work Plan - Project 1.82
Strategy
Summary of the AOP
Events:
Molecular Initiating Events (MIE)
Key Events (KE)
Adverse Outcomes (AO)
| Type | Event ID | Title | Short name |
|---|
| MIE | 1656 | Antagonism, Thyroid Receptor | TR Antagnoism |
| KE | 2104 | Decreased, thyroid hormone binding to thyroid hormone receptor | Decreased, TH binding to THR |
| KE | 2105 | Decreased, myelin basic protein expression in oligodendrocytes | Decreased, mbp expression in oligodendrocytes |
| KE | 2106 | Impaired, oligodendrocyte maturation | Impaired OL maturation |
| KE | 2107 | Hypomyelination | Hypomyelination |
| KE | 2108 | Altered, white brain matter | Altered, white brain matter |
| AO | 402 | Cognitive function, decreased | Cognitive function, decreased |
Relationships Between Two Key Events (Including MIEs and AOs)
Network View
Prototypical Stressors
Life Stage Applicability
| Life stage | Evidence |
|---|---|
| During brain development |
Taxonomic Applicability
| Term | Scientific Term | Evidence | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| human | Homo sapiens | NCBI |
Sex Applicability
Overall Assessment of the AOP
Domain of Applicability
Taxonomic: According to the evaluation of the empirical taxonomic domain of applicability (tDOA) of an adverse outcome pathway network for thyroid hormone system disruption (THSD) by Haigis et al., 2023, the level of confidence for a linkage between TR antagonism and reduced thyroid hormone (TH) levels, as well as for a linkage between THSD and developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) in general, was considered high for mammals and fish. For amphibians, the level of confidence was evaluated to be high for a linkage between TR antagonism and reduced TH levels and moderate for a linkage between THSD and DNT in general. In addition, the level of confidence was considered moderate for birds for a linkage between THSD and DNT in general. This was supported by structural protein conservation analysis by Lalone et al., 2018 and Haigis et al., 2023. Structural protein conservation of mammalian, amphibian, fish, reptilian and avian TRα/β was found compared to the human (Homo sapiens) protein target using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility (SeqAPASS v6.0; seqapass.epa.gov/seqapass/) tool, while acknowledging the potential existence of interspecies differences in conservation. While there is some in vitro evidence of TR antagonism available in birds, evidence of a clear linkage with THSD is not available. Evidence specifically linking THSD to decreased cognitive function in nonmammalian vertebrates is generally missing as well. No empirical evidence linking TR antagonism or decreased cognitive function to THSD was found for reptiles. This taxon is considered part of the plausible tDOA based on the evaluation by Haigis et al., 2023. Scientific inference and the presence of comparable neurological structures indicate that decreased cognitive function can plausibly be measured and is plausibly linked to THSD (Hussan et al., 2022, Naumann et al., 2015, Rivera and Lock, 2008).
Essentiality of the Key Events
Evidence Assessment
Known Modulating Factors
| Modulating Factor (MF) | Influence or Outcome | KER(s) involved |
|---|---|---|
Quantitative Understanding
Considerations for Potential Applications of the AOP (optional)
References
Haigis A-C., Vergauwen L., LaLone C.A., Villeneuve D.L., O'Brien J.M., Knapen D. (2023). Cross-species applicability of an adverse outcome pathway network for thyroid hormone system disruption. Toxicol Sci. 195, 1-27.
Hussan, M. T., Sakai, A., and Matsui, H. (2022). Glutamatergic pathways in the brains of turtles: A comparative perspective among reptiles, birds, and mammals. Front. Neuroana. 16, 937504.
Klose et al. 2021 DOI 10.14573/altex.2007201 https://www.altex.org/index.php/altex/article/view/2013
Klose et al. 2022 DOI 10.1007/S10565-022-09730-4 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10565-022-09730-4
Lalone, C. A., Villeneuve, D. L., Doering, J. A., Blackwell, B. R., Transue, T. R., Simmons, C. W., Swintek, J., Degitz, S. J., Williams, A. J., and Ankley, G. T. (2018).
Naumann, R. K., Ondracek, J. M., Reiter, S., Shein-Idelson, M., Tosches, M. A., Yamawaki, T. M., and Laurent, G. (2015). The reptilian brain. Curr. Biol. 25, R317–R321
Rivera, S., and Lock, B. (2008). The reptilian thyroid and parathyroid glands. Vet. Clin. North Am. Exot. Anim. Pract. 11, 163–175, viii.