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Theses/Dissertations

University of Vermont

Selenocysteine

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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry

Lcms-Based Analysis Explains The Basis Of Oxidative Resistance In Selenium-Containing Thioredoxin Reductase, Daniel Haupt Jan 2021

Lcms-Based Analysis Explains The Basis Of Oxidative Resistance In Selenium-Containing Thioredoxin Reductase, Daniel Haupt

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Selenocysteine (Sec) is referred to as the 21st proteogenic amino acid and is found in place of the redox-sensitive amino acid cysteine (Cys) in a small number of proteins. Sec and Cys carry out similar chemistry and are structural isomers save for a single atom difference; the former contains selenium (Se), while the latter contains sulfur (S) in the identical position. Sec poses a high bioenergetic cost for its synthesis and subsequent incorporation into protein not shared by Cys. Since Sec’s discovery in 1976, scientists have debated why certain proteins express Sec while others express Cys. In recent years, it …


Selenium In Thioredoxin Reductase: Resistance To Oxidative Inactivation, Oxidation States, And Reversibility Of Chemical Reactions, Drew Barber Jan 2018

Selenium In Thioredoxin Reductase: Resistance To Oxidative Inactivation, Oxidation States, And Reversibility Of Chemical Reactions, Drew Barber

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Selenium is a required trace element which was originally discovered by the Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius in 1817. It was initially believed to be a toxin as it was identified as being the cause of hoof maladies and excessive hair loss in horses that feed upon plants with high selenium content. It wasn’t until 1957 that the potential contributions of selenium to physiology were first demonstrated. Selenium is now known to play a critical role in the maintenance of human health. Interestingly, unlike other trace metals/semi-metals, selenium is directly incorporated into proteins in the form of the amino acid …