title: Mechanisms of selenium-mediated protection from photocarcinogenesis and cell death are not solely p53-dependent.
abstract: Recent studies published in Oncogene and Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA ascribe a role for selenium, acting through wild type p53, in protecting skin cells in culture from ultraviolet radiation-induced death. While selenium clearly protects cells against ultraviolet radiation-induced death, data that we present and discuss in this letter shows that wild type p53 is not required for such protection. Moreover the non-physiologically high levels of selenium used in some studies leads us to question the relevance of such effects for selenium-induced photoprotection.
authors.affiliation: Epidermal Infection and Protection Group, Laboratory for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Royal (Dick) Veterinary School, Summerhall, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 1QH, UK. roddie.mckenzie@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: Roddie C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Geoff J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Beckett
mesh_terms: D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000502:physiology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D012643:Selenium