Protein fractions from three selenium-tolerant and three selenium-sensitive Astragalus species, grown in the presence of [(75)Se]selenate, were analyzed for their selenium content. Though tolerant species are known to accumulate considerably more selenium than do sensitive plants, protein fractions from the three selenium accumulators were found to contain significantly less selenium (0.46 to 0...

Selenoprotein P (Se-P) contains most of the selenium in plasma. Its function is not known. Mice with the Se-P gene deleted (Sepp(-/-)) were generated. Two phenotypes were observed: 1) Sepp(-/-) mice lost weight and developed poor motor coordination when fed diets with selenium below 0.1 mg/kg, and 2) male Sepp(-/-) mice had sharply reduced fertility. Weanling male Sepp(+/+), Sepp(+/-), and Sepp...

Selenium is transferred from the mouse dam to its neonate via milk. Milk contains selenium in selenoprotein form as selenoprotein P (Sepp1) and glutathione peroxidase-3 (Gpx3) as well as in non-specific protein form as selenomethionine. Selenium is also present in milk in uncharacterized small-molecule form. We eliminated selenomethionine from the mice in these experiments by feeding a diet tha...

The brain and testis retain selenium better than other tissues during selenium deficiency. Studies of mice with selenoprotein P (Sepp1) deleted (Sepp1(-/-) mice) showed that brain and testis selenium levels are largely dependent on Sepp1. Therefore, we examined tissue selenium in mice fed varying amounts of selenium and in Sepp1(-/-) mice to characterize better the role(s) of Sepp1. Mice were f...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Plasma selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity are commonly used as markers of selenium nutritional status. However, plasma selenium concentrations fall independently of selenium status during the acute phase response and GPx is analytically problematic. The assay for erythrocyte selenium is robust and concentrations are unaffected by the systemic infl...

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for animals, including fish. Due to changes in feed composition for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), it may be necessary to supplement feeds with Se. In the present work, the transfer of Se and Se species from feed to muscle of Atlantic salmon fed Se supplemented diets was studied. Salmon were fed basal fish feed (0.35 mg Se/kg and 0.89 mg Se/kg feed), or fee...

Selenium-containing proteins (e.g., glutathione peroxidases) are important antioxidants in neuronal defense against oxidative stress. In this study, the production of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain of the Tg2576 transgenic mice was investigated under dietary selenium-deficient conditions. The 16-week-old mice were fed a selenium-deficient diet (0.004 μg-selenium g(-1)-diet) or a selenium-a...

Introduction Research efforts have identified groups of people with low selenium intakes and presumed selenium deficiency based on low blood selenium levels. Inhabitants of New Zealand [1], Finland [2], and China [3] often have low blood selenium. Individuals with therapeutic diets low in selenium [4], people undergoing parenteral administration [5] and alcoholics with cirrhosis [6] can also be...

Selenium is an essential nutrient for animals, microorganisms and some other eukaryotes. Although selenium has not been demonstrated to be essential in vascular plants, the ability of some plants to accumulate and transform selenium into bioactive compounds has important implications for human nutrition and health, and for the environment. Selenium-accumulating plants provide unique tools to he...