Effects of selenium on oxidative damage and antioxidant enzymes of eukaryotic cells: wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Aim: To clarify the effects of selenium (Se), parameters related to oxidative issues, as well as the antioxidant response were investigated on an autochthonous wine yeast strain. Methods and Results: Antioxidant enzyme activity, gel electrophoresis, Western blot and MDA level were used to investigate the effects of different concentration of Se in wine yeast. We found that Se is able to affect the enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). An increase in lipid peroxidation was observed in a dose-dependent manner of (Se), thus, indicating the occurrence of cell membrane damage. Additionally, Se induced post-translational oxidative modifications of proteins, especially oxidation of thiol groups (both reversible and irreversible) and protein carbonylation (irreversible oxidation). Conclusion: These results obtained could further the understanding the effect of different concentration of Se in wine yeast strain with which Se affect the enzymatic activities and induces some post-translational modifications of proteins. Significance and Impact of the Study: The understanding of mechanisms regulating the response of wine yeast to Se is important for future work using selenized yeast as enriched Se supplements in human nutrition.