SGER: Quantitative Mapping of Se and Associated Proteins in the Brain: Effects of Dietary Deficiency

The University Of Louisiana At Monroe, Monroe LA

Investigators

Abstract

Selenium (Se) is a nonmetallic essential trace element that exerts numerous biological effects through incorporation into distinct selenoproteins via the amino acid, selenocysteine. In the brain, selenoproteins protect neural tissue from oxidative stresses and maintain normal thyroid hormone function. Available solely through dietary intake, insufficient ingestion of Se leads to numerous physiological and psychological symptoms of deficiency, including abnormal behavioral responses. Since wildlife, as well as domestic livestock, depend upon environmental sources of Se, low soil levels puts these animal populations at significant risk for adverse effects. The central nervous system (CNS) is unique in that net levels of Se are maintained, not diminished during dietary insufficiency, and that levels of select selenoproteins are enhanced during such states. This evidence suggests that Se is critical for optimal neurological function, and that adaptive mechanisms protect the CNS from environment deficits. This SGER project will utilize complementary expertise in neuroanatomy and nuclear physics to map the cellular distribution of Se and its proteins in the brain, to determine if preservation of specific selenocysteine-containing proteins of characterized function in region- and cell type-specific patterns within this organ is correlated with maintenance of brain function during deficiency. The unprecedented sensitivity of the wholly-unique in situ chemical analytical approach developed here will permit this bioinorganic element to be detected within the context of the complex cytoarchitectural organization of the brain, and is expected to significantly advance fundamental knowledge and stimulate new interest in the outcome of Se-deprivation on cellular- and systems levels-level brain function and its related impact on CNS development, plasticity, and senescence.