title: Selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase modules encoded by RNA viruses.
abstract: Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is the prototypical eukaryotic selenoprotein, with the rare amino acid selenocysteine (Sec) at the enzyme active site, encoded by the UGA codon in RNA. A DNA virus, Molluscum contagiosum, has now been shown to encode a functional selenium-dependent GPx enzyme. Using modifications of conventional sequence database searching techniques to locate potential viral GPx modules, combined with structurally guided comparative sequence analysis, we provide compelling evidence that Se-dependent GPx modules are encoded in a number of RNA viruses, including potentially serious human pathogens like HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus, coxsackievirus B3, HIV-2, and measles virus. Analysis of the sequences of multiple viral isolates reveals conservation of the putative GPx-related features, at least within viral subtypes or genotypes, supporting the hypothesis that these are functional GPx modules.
authors.affiliation: Computational Center for Molecular Structure and Design, and Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Georgia, Athens 30601-2352, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ramanathan
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Nadimpalli
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003062:Codon; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D016208:Databases, Factual; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008459:Measles virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium