SEPX1 polyclonal antibody

Selenium is an essential trace element that is incorporated as selenocysteine into the primary structure of selenoproteins. Nutritional deficiency of selenium decreases selenoprotein concentrations and leads to pathologic conditions. Most of the known selenoproteins are members of the glutathione peroxidase or iodothyronine deiodinase families. Selenoprotein P (SEPP1) is a major selenoprotein that is not a member of those families. It is an extracellular glycoprotein that is present in several isoforms and is the only selenoprotein known to contain multiple selenocysteine residues. SECIS elements form stem-loop structures in the 3' untranslated regions (UTR) of eukaryotic mRNAs that encode selenoproteins. The Selenoprotein W SECIS elements contain an additional highly conserved base-paired stem that may prevent inappropriate selenocysteine incorporation at the UGA stop codons. Selenoprotein R, also designated methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase or Selenoprotein X1, is a zinc binding protein. The gene encoding for Selenoprotein R contains seleno-cysteine, which is encoded by the usual stop codon TGA at the active site. Selenoprotein R may play a role in protection against oxidative stress.