title: Selenoprotein W serves as an antioxidant in chicken myoblasts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Selenoprotein W (SelW) was thought to play an antioxidant role in mammals. Because chicken SelW has no cysteine (Cys) at the residue 37 (Cys37) that is required for the presumed antioxidant function in mammals, this study was conducted to determine whether chicken SelW possessed the same function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) technology was applied to suppress the SelW expression in chicken embryonic myoblasts. Thereafter, these myoblasts were treated with different concentrations of H2O2 and assayed for cell viability, apoptosis rate, reactive oxygen species (ROS) status, and expression levels of apoptosis-related genes and proteins (Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Silencing of the myoblast SelW gene decreased their cell viability, and increased their apoptosis rate and susceptibility to H2O2. While the knockout down of SelW up-regulated Bax and caspase-3 and down-regulated Bcl-2, the induced oxidative injuries were alleviated by treatment with a ROS scavenger, N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chicken SelW protected embryonic myoblasts against cell apoptosis mediated by endogenous and exogenous H2O2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chicken SelW possesses antioxidant function similar to the mammalian homologues despite the lack of Cys37 in the peptide.
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P. R. China.
authors: Hai-Dong
authors: HD
authors: Yao
authors: Qiong
authors: Q
authors: Wu
authors: Zi-Wei
authors: ZW
authors: Zhang
authors: Shu
authors: S
authors: Li
authors: Xiao-Long
authors: XL
authors: Wang
authors: Xin-Gen
authors: XG
authors: Lei
authors: Shi-Wen
authors: SW
authors: Xu
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051151:Selenoprotein W / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D051151:Selenoprotein W; D000111:Acetylcysteine