Selenium

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xix

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2. Introduction

   1. Introduction

      • Dolph L. Hatfield

      Pages 1-4

3. Biosynthesis of selenocysteine and its incorporation into protein

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 5-5

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   2. Selenium metabolism in bacteria

      • August Böck

      Pages 7-22

   3. Mammalian selenocysteine tRNA

      • Bradley A. Carlson, F. Javier Martin-Romero, Easwari Kumaraswamy, Mohamed E. Moustafa, Huijun Zhi, Dolph L. Hatfield et al.

      Pages 23-32

   4. Selenophosphate — selenium donor for protein and tRNA

      • Gerard M. Lacourciere

      Pages 33-43

   5. SECIS elements

      • Glover W. Martin III, Marla J. Berry

      Pages 45-53

   6. SECIS binding proteins

      • Paul R. Copeland, Donna M. Driscoll

      Pages 55-67

   7. Towards a mechanism for selenocysteine incorporation in eukaryotes

      • John B. Mansell, Marla J. Berry

      Pages 69-80

   8. Regulation of selenoprotein expression

      • Roger A. Sunde

      Pages 81-96

4. Selenium-containing proteins

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 97-97

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   2. Identity, evolution and function of selenoproteins and selenoprotein genes

      • Vadim N. Gladyshev

      Pages 99-114

   3. Bacterial selenoenzymes and mechanisms of action

      • Thressa C. Stadtman

      Pages 115-122

   4. Selenoprotein P

      • Kristina E. Hill, Raymond F. Burk

      Pages 123-135

   5. Selenoprotein W: A muscle protein in search of a function

      • L. Walt Ream, William R. Vorachek, Philip D. Whanger

      Pages 137-146

   6. The 15 kDa selenoprotein (Sep15): functional studies and a role in cancer etiology

      • Vadim N. Gladyshev, Alan M. Diamond, Dolph L. Hatfield

      Pages 147-155

   7. Selenoproteins of the glutathione system

      • Leopold Flohé, Regina Brigelius-Flohé

      Pages 157-178

   8. Selenoproteins of the thioredoxin system

      • Arne Holmgren

      Pages 179-188

   9. Selenium, deiodinases and endocrine function

      • Donald L. St. Germain

      Pages 189-202

5. Selenium and human health

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 203-203

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As discussed in this book, a large body of evidence indicates that selenium is a cancer chemopreventive agent. Further evidence points to a role of this element in reducing viral expression, in preventing heart disease, and other cardiovascular and muscle disorders, and in delaying the progression of AIDS in HIV infected patients. Selenium may also have a role in mammalian development, in male fertility, in immune function and in slowing the aging process. The mechanism by which selenium exerts its beneficial effects on health may be through selenium-containing proteins. Selenium is incorporated into protein as the amino acid selenocysteine. Selenocysteine utilizes a specific tRNA, a specific elongation factor, a specific set of signals, and the codeword, UGA, for its cotranslational insertion into protein. It is indeed the 21st naturally occurring amino acid to be incorporated into protein and marks the first and only expansion of the genetic code since the code was deciphered in the mid 1960s.

• Amino acid
• Mammalia
• aging
• cancer
• development
• metabolism
• proteins
• translation

• National Cancer Institute, USA

  Dolph L. Hatfield

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