Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
15:13
Structure-function Studies in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using Recombinase-mediated Cassette Exchange
Published on: April 27, 2017
10.7K
Secisbp2 is essential for embryonic development and enhances selenoprotein expression.
Sandra Seeher1, Tarik Atassi, Yassin Mahdi
11 Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin , Berlin, Germany .
Antioxidants & Redox Signaling
|November 27, 2013
Summary
The selenocysteine insertion sequence-binding protein 2 (Secisbp2) is crucial for selenoprotein expression. Mouse models reveal Secisbp2 stabilizes selenoprotein mRNAs, with its inactivation being less detrimental than previously thought.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Selenoproteins, containing the rare amino acid selenocysteine (Sec), are vital for numerous biological processes.
- Mutations in SECISBP2 cause human diseases impacting thyroid hormone-dependent growth and development, leading to severe phenotypes.
- Understanding the precise role of Secisbp2 in selenoprotein expression and its in vivo functions is critical for deciphering these pathologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate and characterize the first Secisbp2 mutant mouse models.
- To investigate the function of Secisbp2 in selenoprotein mRNA regulation and expression in vivo.
- To compare the phenotypic consequences of Secisbp2 deficiency with those of tRNA[Ser]Sec deficiency.
Main Methods:
- Generation of Secisbp2-deleted and conditional knockout mouse models.
- Analysis of selenoprotein expression and mRNA abundance in various tissues and primary hepatocytes.
- Phenotypic characterization of mutant mice, including developmental and physiological assessments.
Main Results:
- Secisbp2 inactivation in mice leads to reduced selenoprotein expression, but homozygous deletion is embryonic lethal before gastrulation.
- Conditional Secisbp2 deletion in hepatocytes significantly decreases selenoprotein expression and unexpectedly affects selenoprotein mRNA stability.
- Phenotypes associated with Secisbp2 deficiency are generally milder than those observed in tRNA[Ser]Sec-deficient counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Secisbp2 plays a significant role in stabilizing selenoprotein mRNAs in vivo.
- Hepatocyte-specific inactivation of Secisbp2 is less detrimental than the inactivation of tRNA[Ser]Sec.
- The developed Secisbp2 mouse models are valuable tools for studying selenoprotein-dependent processes and associated human diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
13.4K
Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
13.4K
01:33Pleiotropy
31.3K
Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
31.3K
01:20Sulfur Assimilation
562
Sulfur is an essential element in biological systems, contributing to synthesizing key biomolecules, including amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, and cofactors such as coenzyme A and biotin. Microorganisms primarily assimilate sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻) from the environment, which must undergo a series of biochemical transformations before it can be incorporated into cellular components. As sulfate is highly oxidized, it must undergo assimilatory sulfate reduction to...
562
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
30.4K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
30.4K
01:45Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
2.5K
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
2.5K
02:02Meiosis II
32.7K
Meiosis II entails cell division and segregation of the sister chromatids, resulting in the production of four unique haploid gametes. The steps for meiosis II are similar to mitosis, except that meiosis II occurs in haploid cells, whereas mitosis occurs in diploid cells.
The timing and cell division patterns of meiosis differ between males and females. In male meiosis, the centrosomes are part of the formation of the meiotic spindle. However, in oocytes, including that of humans, Drosophila,...
The timing and cell division patterns of meiosis differ between males and females. In male meiosis, the centrosomes are part of the formation of the meiotic spindle. However, in oocytes, including that of humans, Drosophila,...
32.7K