title: Reduction of methionine selenoxide to selenomethionine by glutathione.
abstract: Selenomethionine, an amino acid occurring in proteins in place of methionine, reacts efficiently with oxidants, e.g., peroxynitrite, a biological oxidant generated in inflammatory states, to produce the oxidation product, methionine selenoxide. The present work describes the rapid and efficient reduction of the selenoxide to selenomethionine by glutathione in a stoichiometric reaction utilizing two equivalents of thiol. This nonenzymatic reaction establishes a defense line against peroxynitrite or other oxidants by selenomethionine residues in proteins, maintained by the ubiquitous thiol, glutathione.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Briviba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sies
mesh_terms: D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D010087:Oxides / Q000378:metabolism*; D012645:Selenomethionine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; D010087:Oxides; D012645:Selenomethionine; D005978:Glutathione