May be involved in cell growth. Probably acts as a terminal oxidase of plasma electron transport from cytosolic NAD(P)H via hydroquinones to acceptors at the cell surface. Hydroquinone oxidase activity alternates with a protein disulfide-thiol interchange/oxidoreductase activity which may control physical membrane displacements associated with vesicle budding or cell enlargement. The activities oscillate with a period length of 22 minutes and play a role in control of the ultradian cellular biological clock.
Tnox is phosphorylated by protein kinase c_ (pkc_) both in vitro and in vivo. Replacement of serine-504 with alanine significantly reduces phosphorylation by pkc_. C. overexpression of the s504a tnox mutant leads to diminished cell proliferation and migration, reflecting reduced stability of the unphosphorylatable tnox mutant protein.