Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

An Optimized Protocol for Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay Using Infrared Fluorescent Dye-labeled Oligonucleotides
Published on: November 29, 2016
Selenoprotein W gene regulation by selenium in L8 cells
1Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331, USA.
Abstract:
The effects of selenium on selenoprotein W gene expression were examined in cultured L8 rat skeletal muscle cells. Selenoprotein W contains selenium as selenocysteine in the primary protein structure and levels of this selenoprotein are affected by selenium. Northern blots indicated that there were no significant changes (P < 0.05) in selenoprotein W mRNA levels during cell proliferation and differentiation. Reduction of selenium concentration in the medium decreased the selenoprotein W mRNA levels. Nuclear run-on experiments with isolated L8 nuclei showed the same rate of selenoprotein W mRNA synthesis in cells cultured in either low selenium or selenium supplemented medium, suggesting that the transcription rate of the selenoprotein W gene is independent of selenium. Measurement of the selenoprotein W mRNA half-life in myoblasts treated with the transcription inhibitor, alpha-amanitin, showed that selenoprotein W mRNA levels decreased over time with an estimated half-life of 57 h for cells grown in low selenium medium. Selenium treatment increased the selenoprotein W mRNA half-life 2-fold. These data suggest that selenium stabilizes selenoprotein W mRNA but has no effect on transcription.
Related Concept Videos
Pleiotropy
Epigenetic Regulation
Cell Specific Gene Expression
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Cell Specific Gene Expression
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...

