Impaired selenoprotein expression in brain triggers striatal neuronal loss leading to co-ordination defects in mice.

Secisbp2 [SECIS (selenocysteine insertion sequence)-binding protein 2] binds to SECIS elements located in the 3'-UTR region of eukaryotic selenoprotein mRNAs. It facilitates the incorporation of the rare amino acid selenocysteine in response to UGA codons. Inactivation of Secisbp2 in hepatocytes greatly reduced selenoprotein levels. Neuron-specific inactivation of Secisbp2 (CamK-Cre; Secisbp2fl/fl) reduced cerebral expression of selenoproteins to a lesser extent than inactivation of tRNA[Ser]Sec. This allowed us to study the development of cortical PV (parvalbumin)+ interneurons, which are completely lost in tRNA[Ser]Sec mutants. PV+ interneuron density was reduced in the somatosensory cortex, hippocampus and striatum. In situ hybridization for Gad67 (glutamic acid decarboxylase 67) confirmed the reduction of GABAergic (where GABA is γ-aminobutyric acid) interneurons. Because of the obvious movement phenotype involving a broad dystonic gait, we suspected basal ganglia dysfunction. Tyrosine hydroxylase expression was normal in substantia nigra neurons and their striatal terminals. However the densities of striatal PV+ and Gad67+ neurons were decreased by 65% and 49% respectively. Likewise, the density of striatal cholinergic neurons was reduced by 68%. Our observations demonstrate that several classes of striatal interneurons depend on selenoprotein expression. These findings may offer an explanation for the movement phenotype of selenoprotein P-deficient mice and the movement disorder and mental retardation described in a patient carrying SECISBP2 mutations.

Secisbp2 is essential for embryonic development and enhances selenoprotein expression.

AIMS: The selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS)-binding protein 2 (Secisbp2) binds to SECIS elements located in the 3'-untranslated region of eukaryotic selenoprotein mRNAs. Selenoproteins contain the rare amino acid selenocysteine (Sec). Mutations in SECISBP2 in humans lead to reduced selenoprotein expression thereby affecting thyroid hormone-dependent growth and differentiation processes. The most severe cases also display myopathy, hearing impairment, male infertility, increased photosensitivity, mental retardation, and ataxia. Mouse models are needed to understand selenoprotein-dependent processes underlying the patients' pleiotropic phenotypes. RESULTS: Unlike tRNA[Ser]Sec-deficient embryos, homozygous Secisbp2-deleted embryos implant, but fail before gastrulation. Heterozygous inactivation of Secisbp2 reduced the amount of selenoprotein expressed, but did not affect the thyroid hormone axis or growth. Conditional deletion of Secisbp2 in hepatocytes significantly decreased selenoprotein expression. Unexpectedly, the loss of Secisbp2 reduced the abundance of many, but not all, selenoprotein mRNAs. Transcript-specific and gender-selective effects on selenoprotein mRNA abundance were greater in Secisbp2-deficient hepatocytes than in tRNA[Ser]Sec-deficient cells. Despite the massive reduction of Dio1 and Sepp1 mRNAs, significantly more corresponding protein was detected in primary hepatocytes lacking Secisbp2 than in cells lacking tRNA[Ser]Sec. Regarding selenoprotein expression, compensatory nuclear factor, erythroid-derived, like 2 (Nrf2)-dependent gene expression, or embryonic development, phenotypes were always milder in Secisbp2-deficient than in tRNA[Ser]Sec-deficient mice. INNOVATION: We report the first Secisbp2 mutant mouse models. The conditional mutants provide a model for analyzing Secisbp2 function in organs not accessible in patients. CONCLUSION: In hepatocyte-specific conditional mouse models, Secisbp2 gene inactivation is less detrimental than tRNA[Ser]Sec inactivation. A role of Secisbp2 in stabilizing selenoprotein mRNAs in vivo was uncovered.

Characterization of the UGA-recoding and SECIS-binding activities of SECIS-binding protein 2.

Selenium, a micronutrient, is primarily incorporated into human physiology as selenocysteine (Sec). The 25 Sec-containing proteins in humans are known as selenoproteins. Their synthesis depends on the translational recoding of the UGA stop codon to allow Sec insertion. This requires a stem-loop structure in the 3' untranslated region of eukaryotic mRNAs known as the Selenocysteine Insertion Sequence (SECIS). The SECIS is recognized by SECIS-binding protein 2 (SBP2) and this RNA:protein interaction is essential for UGA recoding to occur. Genetic mutations cause SBP2 deficiency in humans, resulting in a broad set of symptoms due to differential effects on individual selenoproteins. Progress on understanding the different phenotypes requires developing robust tools to investigate SBP2 structure and function. In this study we demonstrate that SBP2 protein produced by in vitro translation discriminates among SECIS elements in a competitive UGA recoding assay and has a much higher specific activity than bacterially expressed protein. We also show that a purified recombinant protein encompassing amino acids 517-777 of SBP2 binds to SECIS elements with high affinity and selectivity. The affinity of the SBP2:SECIS interaction correlated with the ability of a SECIS to compete for UGA recoding activity in vitro. The identification of a 250 amino acid sequence that mediates specific, selective SECIS-binding will facilitate future structural studies of the SBP2:SECIS complex. Finally, we identify an evolutionarily conserved core cysteine signature in SBP2 sequences from the vertebrate lineage. Mutation of multiple, but not single, cysteines impaired SECIS-binding but did not affect protein localization in cells.

Alternative transcripts and 3'UTR elements govern the incorporation of selenocysteine into selenoprotein S.

Selenoprotein S (SelS) is a 189 amino acid trans-membrane protein that plays an important yet undefined role in the unfolded protein response. It has been proposed that SelS may function as a reductase, with the penultimate selenocysteine (Sec(188)) residue participating in a selenosulfide bond with cysteine (Cys(174)). Cotranslational incorporation of Sec into SelS depends on the recoding of the UGA codon, which requires a Selenocysteine Insertion Sequence (SECIS) element in the 3'UTR of the transcript. Here we identify multiple mechanisms that regulate the expression of SelS. The human SelS gene encodes two transcripts (variants 1 and 2), which differ in their 3'UTR sequences due to an alternative splicing event that removes the SECIS element from the variant 1 transcript. Both transcripts are widely expressed in human cell lines, with the SECIS-containing variant 2 mRNA being more abundant. In vitro experiments demonstrate that the variant 1 3'UTR does not allow readthrough of the UGA/Sec codon. Thus, this transcript would produce a truncated protein that does not contain Sec and cannot make the selenosulfide bond. While the variant 2 3'UTR does support Sec insertion, its activity is weak. Bioinformatic analysis revealed two highly conserved stem-loop structures, one in the proximal part of the variant 2 3'UTR and the other immediately downstream of the SECIS element. The proximal stem-loop promotes Sec insertion in the native context but not when positioned far from the UGA/Sec codon in a heterologous mRNA. In contrast, the 140 nucleotides downstream of the SECIS element inhibit Sec insertion. We also show that endogenous SelS is enriched at perinuclear speckles, in addition to its known localization in the endoplasmic reticulum. Our results suggest the expression of endogenous SelS is more complex than previously appreciated, which has implications for past and future studies on the function of this protein.

Nucleolin binds to a subset of selenoprotein mRNAs and regulates their expression.

Selenium, an essential trace element, is incorporated into selenoproteins as selenocysteine (Sec), the 21st amino acid. In order to synthesize selenoproteins, a translational reprogramming event must occur since Sec is encoded by the UGA stop codon. In mammals, the recoding of UGA as Sec depends on the selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element, a stem-loop structure in the 3' untranslated region of the transcript. The SECIS acts as a platform for RNA-binding proteins, which mediate or regulate the recoding mechanism. Using UV crosslinking, we identified a 110 kDa protein, which binds with high affinity to SECIS elements from a subset of selenoprotein mRNAs. The crosslinking activity was purified by RNA affinity chromatography and identified as nucleolin by mass spectrometry analysis. In vitro binding assays showed that purified nucleolin discriminates among SECIS elements in the absence of other factors. Based on siRNA experiments, nucleolin is required for the optimal expression of certain selenoproteins. There was a good correlation between the affinity of nucleolin for a SECIS and its effect on selenoprotein expression. As selenoprotein transcript levels and localization did not change in siRNA-treated cells, our results suggest that nucleolin selectively enhances the expression of a subset of selenoproteins at the translational level.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4a3 is a selenium-regulated RNA-binding protein that selectively inhibits selenocysteine incorporation.

The synthesis of selenoproteins requires the translational recoding of the UGA stop codon as selenocysteine. During selenium deficiency, there is a hierarchy of selenoprotein expression, with certain selenoproteins synthesized at the expense of others. The mechanism by which the limiting selenocysteine incorporation machinery is preferentially utilized to maintain the expression of essential selenoproteins has not been elucidated. Here we demonstrate that eukaryotic initiation factor 4a3 (eIF4a3) is involved in the translational control of a subset of selenoproteins. The interaction of eIF4a3 with the selenoprotein mRNA prevents the binding of SECIS binding protein 2, which is required for selenocysteine insertion, thereby inhibiting the synthesis of the selenoprotein. Furthermore, the expression of eIF4a3 is regulated in response to selenium. Based on knockdown and overexpression studies, eIF4a3 is necessary and sufficient to mediate selective translational repression in cells. Our results support a model in which eIF4a3 links selenium status with differential selenoprotein expression.