Selenot - selenoprotein T

This gene encodes a selenoprotein, containing a selenocysteine (Sec) residue at the active site. Sec is encoded by the UGA codon that normally signals translation termination. The 3' UTRs of selenoprotein mRNAs contain a conserved stem-loop structure, the Sec insertion sequence (SECIS) element, that is necessary for the recognition of UGA as a Sec codon rather than as a stop signal. This protein is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. It belongs to the SelWTH family that possesses a thioredoxin-like fold and a conserved CxxU (C is cysteine, U is Sec) motif found in several redox active proteins. Studies in rat indicate a role for this gene in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and smooth muscle contraction. High induction of this gene is also associated with ontogenetic and regenerative processes in nervous, endocrine, and metabolic tissues. A pseudogene of this locus has been identified on chromosome 4. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2017]