A tale of two toxicities: malformed selenoproteins and oxidative stress both contribute to selenium stress in plants

Author(s): Van Hoewyk D

Abstract

Background

Despite selenium's toxicity in plants at higher levels, crops supply most of the essential dietary selenium in humans. In plants, inorganic selenium can be assimilated into selenocysteine, which can replace cysteine in proteins. Selenium toxicity in plants has been attributed to the formation of non-specific selenoproteins. However, this paradigm can be challenged now that there is increasingly abundant evidence suggesting that selenium-induced oxidative stress also contributes to toxicity in plants.

Scope

This Botanical Briefing summarizes the evidence indicating that selenium toxicity in plants is attributable to both the accumulation of non-specific selenoproteins and selenium-induced oxidative stress. Evidence is also presented to substantiate the claim that inadvertent selenocysteine replacement probably impairs or misfolds proteins, which supports the malformed selenoprotein hypothesis. The possible physiological ramifications of selenoproteins and selenium-induced oxidative stress are discussed.

Conclusions

Malformed selenoproteins and oxidative stress are two distinct types of stress that drive selenium toxicity in plants and could impact cellular processes in plants that have yet to be thoroughly explored. Although challenging, deciphering whether the extent of selenium toxicity in plants is imparted by selenoproteins or oxidative stress could be helpful in the development of crops with fortified levels of selenium.

Similar Articles

  Cowpea: Alternative field crops manual

Author(s): Davis DW, Oelke EA, Oplinger ES, Doll JD, Hanson CV, et al.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L

Author(s): Ehlers JD, Hall AE

Cowpea: An overview on its nutritional facts and health benefits

Author(s): Jayathilake C, Visvanathan R, Deen A, Bangamuwage R, Jayawardana BC, et al.

Foliar application of glycinebetaine–A novel product from sugar beet–As an approach to increase tomato yield

Author(s): Makela MP, Jokinen K, Kontturi M, Peltonen-Sainio M, Pehu E, et al.

Nutrient uptake changes in ascorbate free radical-stimulated roots

Author(s): Gonzalez-Reyes JA, Hidalgo A, Caler JA, Palos R, Navas P

Selenium in higher plants: Understanding mechanisms for biofortification and phytoremediaton

Author(s): Zhu YG, Pilon-Smits EAH, Zhao FJ, Williams PN, Meharg AA

Free radical scavenging efficiency of Nano-Se in vitro

Author(s): Huang B, Zhang J, Hou J, Chen C

Accumulation of red elemental selenium nanoparticles and their biological effects in Nicotinia tabacum

Author(s): Domokos-Szabolcsy E, Marton L, Sztrik A, Babka B, Prokisch J, et al.

on antioxidant enzymes activities, lipid peroxidation and proline accumulation of Canola

Author(s): Dolatabadian A, Sanavy SAMM, Chashmi NA (2008)

Self fruit extract and vitamin-C improves tomato seed germination

Author(s): Barh D, Srivastava HC, Mazumdar BC

 Methods of enzymatic analysis

Author(s): Bergmeyer HU

Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent

Author(s): Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randell RJ

Selenium as an anti-oxidant and pro-oxidant in ryegrass

Author(s): Hartikainen H, Xue T, Piironen V

The importance of selenium biofortification in food crop

Author(s): Garcia-Bañuelos LM, Hermosillo-Cerec MA, Sanchez E

Promotion of growth in mungbean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb

Author(s): Malik JA, Kumar S, Thakur P, Sharma S, Kaur R, et al.

Rice seed invigoration: a review

Author(s): Farooq M, Basra SMA, Wahid A, Khaliq A, Kobayashi N

Seed priming with selenium: Consequences for emergence, seedling growth, and biochemical attributes of rice

Author(s): Abdul Khaliq, Aslam F, Matloob A, Hussain S, Geng M, et al.

Toward a molecular understanding of plant hormone actions

Author(s): Li C, Li J, Chong K, Harter K, Lee Y, et al.

Ameliorative effect of selenium on tomato plants grown under salinity stress

Author(s): Mozafariyan M, Kamelmanesh MM, Hawrylak-Nowak B

Selenium–an antioxidative protectant in soybean during senescence

Author(s): Djanaguiraman M, Devi DD, Shanker AK, Sheeba A, Bangarusamy U

Selenium in medicine and treatment

Author(s): Frączek A, Pasterniak K

Respiratory potential and Se compounds in pea (Pisum sativum L

Author(s): Smrkolj P, Germ M, Kreft I, Stibilj V

Antioxidant systems in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L

Author(s): Bailly C, Benamar A, Corbineau F, Come D

Metabolic importance of selenium for plants

Author(s): Germ M, Stibilj V, Kreft I

The Effects of Ascorbic Acid on Breaking the seed dormancy of Malussieversii

Author(s): Niu J,  Zhao L, Fan Y, Shi S, He L, et al.