Unveiling the molecular mechanisms behind selenium-related diseases through knockout mouse studies.
Selenium (Se), in the form of the 21st amino acid selenocysteine, is an integral part of selenoproteins and essential for mammals. While a large number of health claims for Se has been proposed in a diverse set of diseases, little is known about the precise molecular mechanisms and the physiological roles of selenoproteins. With the recent and rigorous application of reverse genetics in the mouse, great strides have been made to address this on a more molecular level. In this review, we focus on results obtained from the application of mouse molecular genetics in mouse physiology and discuss these insights into the physiological actions of selenoproteins in light of evidence from human genetics.
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumor Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Marchioninistrasse 25, Munich, Germany. marcus.conrad@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Marcus
M
Conrad
Ulrich
U
Schweizer
D000818:Animals; D004194:Disease; D018390:Gene Targeting; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism*; D017279:Selenocysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D051140:Selenoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D051140:Selenoproteins; D017279:Selenocysteine; D012643:Selenium