SARS-CoV-2 suppresses mRNA expression of selenoproteins associated with ferroptosis, ER stress and DNA synthesis

A significant, positive association between selenium status and COVID-19 prognosis has recently been identified. The present study investigated the influence of SARS-CoV-2 on host selenoproteins which mediate many beneficial actions of selenium. We found that SARS-CoV-2 suppressed mRNA expression of selenoproteins associated with ferroptosis (GPX4), ER stress (SELENOF, SELENOK, SELENOM and SELENOS) and DNA synthesis (TXNRD3) in Vero cells, providing a deeper insight into the connection between selenium and SARS-CoV-2.