Selenium and mutation rate?

[DANDERSON at PRL.PULMONARY.UBC.CA]

>My incredibly wonderful wife of two months told me of a story she heard 
>on NPR regarding viruses, heart disease, selenium and mutation rates (not 
>necessarily in that order.  Anyone know what that was about?

Yes, it is intriguing work!

These studies have been performed utilizing the murine model of 
coxsackievirus (CVB)-induced myocarditis/pancreatitis.  To be in press soon 
in Nature Medicine is an article by Beck, M et al.  Rapid genomic 
evolution of a non-virulent coxsackievirus B3 in selenium-deficient 
mice results in selection of identical virulent isolates.

Other selenium-CVB3 articles are: Beck M et al.  Benign human 
enterovirus becomes virulent in selenium-deficient mice.  J Med 
Virol. 43, 166-170,  1994.  Ge KY et al.  The protective effects of 
selenium against viral myocarditis in mice.  in Selenium in Biology 
and Medicine-Part  B (eds Combs GF,  Spallholz JE, Levander OA and 
Oldfield Je) 761-768 (Van  Nostrand/Reinhold, New York, 1987). 

The mutation of non-virulent CVB3 to virulent CVB3 has been 
characterized by Steve Tracy and Nora Chapman at the University of 
Nebraska Medical  Center.  This work is in print and I believe still 
in progress.  One article is Chapman NM et al.  Arch Virol.  135, 
115-130, 1994. 

Enjoy,

Dan Anderson
University of British Columbia/University of Nebraska Medical Center