Endocrine Abstracts

Tyrosine availability critically influences thyroid hormone synthesis, and thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism, affect 1% of humans. In contrast, nearly 10% of mature/senior cats develop hyperthyroidism, but colourpoint breeds with mutations in the tyrosinase gene (e.g. Siamese) show reduced risk of developing hyperthyroidism, potentially due to increased availability of tyrosine (related to coat colouration). To establish how tyrosine availability can alter thyroid fun...