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Molecular Research of Selenocysteine in Selenoproteins

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 1958

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Interests: genetic code expansion; selenocysteine; system engineering; biophysics; synthetic biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Selenium is an essential micronutrient for humans. Found primarily in the form of selenocysteine, the 21st naturally occurring amino acid, selenocysteine is incorporated into nascent selenoproteins at specified UGA codons through a sophisticated translation pathway developed by nature. These methods of biosynthesis and insertion of selenocysteine differ in all three domains of life. In humans, 25 identified selenoproteins have been linked to various diseases, including neurological, cardiovascular, reproductive, and infectious diseases, cancer, and diabetes. The pathologies of these diseases are associated with imbalances between the generation and elimination of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species. Selenoproteins are not unique to humans or eukaryotes, but play critical roles in bacterial physiology and archaeal methanogenesis. Various mouse and cell models and functional genomics, as well as advances in chemical, synthetic biology, and bioinformatics technologies, have significantly driven forward the field of selenium biology. This Special Issue welcomes submissions addressing any aspect of selenium and selenoproteins in any domain of life.

Dr. Natalie Krahn
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • selenocysteine
  • selenoproteins
  • selenium
  • oxidoreductase
  • antioxidant
  • suppression

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 2289 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomic Changes in Response to Form of Selenium on the Interferon-Tau Signaling Mechanism in the Caruncular Tissue of Beef Heifers at Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy
by Sarah N. Carr, Benjamin R. Crites, Harshraj Shinde and Phillip J. Bridges
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(24), 17327; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242417327 - 10 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 881
Abstract
We have reported that selenium (Se) provided to grazing beef cattle in an inorganic (ISe) form versus a 1:1 mixture (MIX) of inorganic and organic (OSe) forms affects cholesterol biosynthesis in the corpus luteum (CL), the abundance of interferon tau (IFNτ) and progesterone [...] Read more.
We have reported that selenium (Se) provided to grazing beef cattle in an inorganic (ISe) form versus a 1:1 mixture (MIX) of inorganic and organic (OSe) forms affects cholesterol biosynthesis in the corpus luteum (CL), the abundance of interferon tau (IFNτ) and progesterone (P4)-induced mRNAs in the caruncular (CAR) tissue of the endometrium, and conceptus length at maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP). In this study, beef heifers were supplemented with a vitamin–mineral mix containing 35 ppm Se as ISe or MIX to achieve a Se-adequate status. Inseminated heifers were killed at MRP (d 17, n = 6 per treatment) for tissue collection. In CAR samples from MIX versus ISe heifers, qPCR revealed that mRNA encoding the thyroid regulating DIO2 and DIO3 was decreased (p < 0.05) and a complete transcriptomic analysis revealed effects on the interferon JAK-STAT1/2 pathway, including decreased expression of mRNAs encoding the classical interferon stimulated genes IFIT1, IFIT2, IFIT3, IRF1, IRF9, ISG15, OAS2, and RSAD2 (p < 0.05). Treatment also affected the abundance of mRNAs contributing to the immunotolerant environment (p < 0.05). In combination, these findings suggest more advanced preparation of the CAR and developing conceptus for implantation and to evade immune rejection by the maternal system in MIX- vs. ISe-treated heifers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research of Selenocysteine in Selenoproteins)
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Review

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21 pages, 1127 KiB  
Review
Biosynthesis, Engineering, and Delivery of Selenoproteins
by David E. Wright and Patrick O’Donoghue
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010223 - 22 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 714
Abstract
Selenocysteine (Sec) was discovered as the 21st genetically encoded amino acid. In nature, site-directed incorporation of Sec into proteins requires specialized biosynthesis and recoding machinery that evolved distinctly in bacteria compared to archaea and eukaryotes. Many organisms, including higher plants and most fungi, [...] Read more.
Selenocysteine (Sec) was discovered as the 21st genetically encoded amino acid. In nature, site-directed incorporation of Sec into proteins requires specialized biosynthesis and recoding machinery that evolved distinctly in bacteria compared to archaea and eukaryotes. Many organisms, including higher plants and most fungi, lack the Sec-decoding trait. We review the discovery of Sec and its role in redox enzymes that are essential to human health and important targets in disease. We highlight recent genetic code expansion efforts to engineer site-directed incorporation of Sec in bacteria and yeast. We also review methods to produce selenoproteins with 21 or more amino acids and approaches to delivering recombinant selenoproteins to mammalian cells as new applications for selenoproteins in synthetic biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research of Selenocysteine in Selenoproteins)
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