Plants subjected to stress imposed by their environment often accumulate misfolded proteins, that would be cytotoxic if not properly removed by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP). During severe stress, the UPP becomes impaired, but the mechanisms that damage it are not well understood in plants. In this study, the effects of mild and severe stress selenium on the UPP were analyzed using the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas. Mild selenium stress increased proteasome activity. However, inhibition of the UPP caused by severe selenium stress was associated with reactive oxygen species, including mitochondrial superoxide. Additionally, this is the first time that proteasome activity has been reported in lower plants.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.