Glutathione Peroxidase 2, Gastrointestinal (GPX2)

GPX2 is a member of the glutathione peroxidase family encoding a selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase that is one of two isoenzymes responsible for the majority of the glutathione-dependent hydrogen peroxide-reducing activity in the epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract.

The antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 2 is one out of eight known glutathione peroxidases in humans. Mammalian Gpx1, GPx2, Gpx3, and Gpx4 have been shown to be selenium-containing enzymes, whereas Gpx6 is a selenoprotein in humans with cysteine-containing homologues in rodents. In selenoproteins, the 21st amino acid selenocysteine is inserted in the nascent polypeptide chain during the process of translational recoding of the UGA stop codon.