关键词: 硒蛋白, 神经退行性疾病, 氧化应激, 阿尔茨海默症, 帕金森症

Abstract: Selenoprotein refers to a kind of proteins that share the common feature of containing the amino acid, selenocysteine. They participate redox reactions in diverse biological metabolisms through the reductive activity of selenium (Se). The human selenoprotein family contains 25 members, however, for some of them, their precise physiological functions remain unknown. Brain is one of the most Se-abundant tissue, the depletion of some individual selenoproteins by gene knockout results in cognitive impairment and motor dysfunction. A large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) could be produced during the metabolisms in brain, and the oxidative stress derived from the ROS is believed to be one of the primary inducements of neurodegenerative disease. Whereas, the clearance of ROS is the prime physiological function of many selenoproteins, therefore the relevance between selenoproteins and neurodegenerative diseases attracts extensive attention these days. Herein, we reviewed the physiological functions of selenoproteins and how they were related to the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, which was expected to provide reference for selenoprotein application in treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Key words: selenoprotein, neurodegenerative disease, oxidative stress, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease