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AOP: 605
Title
Thyroid Peroxidase Inhibition Leading to Reduced, Swimming Performance via Hypomyelination
Short name
Graphical Representation
Point of Contact
Contributors
- Ki-Tae Kim
Coaches
OECD Information Table
| OECD Project # | OECD Status | Reviewer's Reports | Journal-format Article | OECD iLibrary Published Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This AOP was last modified on September 28, 2025 02:35
Revision dates for related pages
| Page | Revision Date/Time |
|---|---|
| Thyroperoxidase, Inhibition | November 18, 2025 08:29 |
| Thyroid hormone synthesis, Decreased | November 04, 2022 09:25 |
| Thyroxine (T4) in serum, Decreased | October 10, 2022 08:52 |
| Decreased, Triiodothyronine (T3) | October 07, 2022 08:26 |
| Impaired, oligodendrocyte maturation | February 21, 2023 10:42 |
| Hypomyelination | February 21, 2023 10:48 |
| Reduced, Swimming performance | September 08, 2021 06:12 |
| Increased Mortality | July 08, 2022 07:32 |
| Decrease, Population growth rate | January 03, 2023 09:09 |
Abstract
This AOP describes the sequence of events leading from thyroid peroxidase (TPO) inhibition to a decrease in population growth rate in vertebrates via hypomyelination. The sequence of events in this AOP has been validated in zebrafish embryos (Choi, 2025). Mechanistically, TPO inhibition reduces thyroid hormone (TH) synthesis, lowering circulating thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). TH signaling plays a pivotal role in central nervous system (CNS) development, including neuronal differentiation, synaptogenesis, and oligodendrocyte-mediated myelination (Naffaa et al., 2021). Consistent with this, zebrafish exposed to the prototypical TPO inhibitor propylthiouracil (PTU) exhibited reduced circulating TH levels. This reduction downregulated myelination-related genes, leading to a reduced number of oligodendrocytes and impaired myelin sheath formation in the CNS. The consequent hypomyelination compromised axonal signal transmission, disrupted neural circuit function, and manifested as reduced swimming performance in larval assays (Choi, 2025). Such behavioral impairment is expected to compromise prey capture and predator avoidance, thereby increasing mortality and decreasing population growth rate. Thus, this AOP delineates the pathway by which reduced synthesis or activity of TH leads to hypomyelination and population-level impacts, and it complements existing thyroid-axis AOPs (e.g., deficits in swim-bladder inflation and altered visual function), broadening the network linking thyroid function to neurodevelopmental toxicity.
AOP Development Strategy
Context
Strategy
Summary of the AOP
Events:
Molecular Initiating Events (MIE)
Key Events (KE)
Adverse Outcomes (AO)
| Type | Event ID | Title | Short name |
|---|
| MIE | 279 | Thyroperoxidase, Inhibition | Thyroperoxidase, Inhibition |
| KE | 277 | Thyroid hormone synthesis, Decreased | TH synthesis, Decreased |
| KE | 281 | Thyroxine (T4) in serum, Decreased | T4 in serum, Decreased |
| KE | 1003 | Decreased, Triiodothyronine (T3) | Decreased, Triiodothyronine (T3) |
| KE | 2106 | Impaired, oligodendrocyte maturation | Impaired OL maturation |
| KE | 2107 | Hypomyelination | Hypomyelination |
| KE | 1005 | Reduced, Swimming performance | Reduced, Swimming performance |
| AO | 351 | Increased Mortality | Increased Mortality |
| AO | 360 | Decrease, Population growth rate | Decrease, Population growth rate |
Relationships Between Two Key Events (Including MIEs and AOs)
Network View
Prototypical Stressors
Life Stage Applicability
| Life stage | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Embryo | High |
Taxonomic Applicability
Sex Applicability
Overall Assessment of the AOP
Domain of Applicability
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
- Choi Y-S, Kim K-T, 2025. Establishing an Adverse Outcome Pathway from Thyroid Peroxidase Inhibition to Mortality via Impaired Myelination in Zebrafish. SETAC North America 46th Annual Meeting; Portland, OR, USA.
- Naffaa V, Laprévote O, Schang AL, 2021. Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on myelin development and diseases. Neurotoxicology 83, 51–68.