title: Intracellular diagnostics: hunting for the mode of action of redox-modulating selenium compounds in selected model systems.
abstract: Redox-modulating compounds derived from natural sources, such as redox active secondary metabolites, are currently of considerable interest in the field of chemoprevention, drug and phytoprotectant development. Unfortunately, the exact and occasionally even selective activity of such products, and the underlying (bio-)chemical causes thereof, are often only poorly understood. A combination of the nematode- and yeast-based assays provides a powerful platform to investigate a possible biological activity of a new compound and also to explore the "redox link" which may exist between its activity on the one side and its chemistry on the other. Here, we will demonstrate the usefulness of this platform for screening several selenium and tellurium compounds for their activity and action. We will also show how the nematode-based assay can be used to obtain information on compound uptake and distribution inside a multicellular organism, whilst the yeast-based system can be employed to explore possible intracellular mechanisms via chemogenetic screening and intracellular diagnostics. Whilst none of these simple and easy-to-use assays can ultimately substitute for in-depth studies in human cells and animals, these methods nonetheless provide a first glimpse on the possible biological activities of new compounds and offer direction for more complicated future investigations. They may also uncover some rather unpleasant biochemical actions of certain compounds, such as the ability of the trace element supplement selenite to induce DNA strand breaks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Vlárska 7, 833 91 Bratislava, Slovakia. dominika.manikova@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Dominika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mániková
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Vlárska 7, 833 91 Bratislava, Slovakia. lucia.letavayova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lucia Medvecová
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Letavayová
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Vlárska 7, 833 91 Bratislava, Slovakia. exondako@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Danuša
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlasáková
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Vlárska 7, 833 91 Bratislava, Slovakia. pavol.kosik@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Košík
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus B 2.1, D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany. ethiene.castellucciestevam@uni-saarland.de.
authors.forename: Ethiene Castellucci
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Estevam
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus B 2.1, D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany. jawad.nasim@uni-saarland.de.
authors.forename: Muhammad Jawad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nasim
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology (BioIII), RWTH Aachen University, D-52056 Aachen, Germany. Martin.Gruhlke@rwth-aachen.de.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gruhlke
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology (BioIII), RWTH Aachen University, D-52056 Aachen, Germany. alan.slusarenko@bio3.rwth-aachen.de.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slusarenko
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus B 2.1, D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany. t.burkholz@mx.uni-saarland.de.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burkholz
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus B 2.1, D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany. c.jacob@mx.uni-saarland.de.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Vlárska 7, 833 91 Bratislava, Slovakia. miroslav.chovanec@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chovanec
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009348:Nematoda; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D013691:Tellurium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D018036:Selenium Compounds; D013691:Tellurium