Selenium nanovirus and its cytotoxicity in selenite-exposed higher living organisms

• Published in: Biochemistry and biophysics reports Vol. 21; p. 100733
• Main Authors: Bao, Peng, Li, Guo-Xiang, He, Yu-Qin, Ren, Hong-Yun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.03.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Cancer; Entropy; Environmental toxicology; Nanovirus; Selenite; Environmental toxicology; Selenite; Nanovirus; Entropy; Cancer
• ISSN: 2405-5808; 2405-5808
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2020.100733

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient in living organisms, having a narrow margin between essential and potentially toxic intake/exposure. Thus, the biochemistry of Se in living organisms must be studied in-depth to determine the underlying mechanism of Se cytotoxicity. In this study, we report the emergence of selenium nanovirus (SeNVs) in selenite-exposed fish (freshwater and saltwater) and plants (dryland) and its toxicity in them. SeNVs were found in both the abdomen and tail of Oryzias melastigma and saltwater Rhodeus ocellatus, which led to their death. The occurrence of the intracellular assembly of SeNVs was observed in the roots and leaves of corn Zea mays, but not in those of Limnobium laevigatum. SeNVs led to the death of Z. mays but caused chronic toxicity in L. laevigatum. SeNVs should be a system or structure that dissipates the intracellular redox gradients of the host cells, with simple information consisting Se–O, Se–N, or Se–S bond, that would ensure elemental Se ligand binding with nearly specific biomolecules in host cells, thereby maintaining their composition and stabilizing their structure. The multiple toxic effects of Se, therefore, could be the consequence of increase of entropy in the host cells caused by the intracellular assembly of SeNVs. This study may provide an insight into the underlying mechanism of Se in environmental toxicology and its applications in human health. •Intracellularly assembly of SeNPs has been considered as a new interpretation of selenium cytotoxicity.•We provide the concept of SeNVs, which should be a system/structure that dissipates the redox gradients of host cells.•The toxic effect of selenium could be the consequence of structural and functional disorder in the host cell caused by SeNVs.•The concept of SeNVs will be beneficial for understanding the toxicology of selenium.