In vitro expression of a mouse tissue specific glutathione-peroxidase-like protein lacking the selenocysteine can protect stably transfected mammalian cells against oxidative damage.

The complete sequence of the mouse epididymal protein (MEP24) was cloned. It contains a 663 bp open-reading frame that, after conceptual translation, shows extensive identity with proteins belonging to the glutathione peroxidase (GPX) family. However, a major difference between GPX5 (MEP24) and other known GPXs concerns a protein domain known to be critical for GPX function. To find out what could be the physiological function of such a protein in the mouse epididymis, we have used a mammalian expression system to overexpress the GPX5 protein. Cells constitutively expressing the GPX5 protein were generated and assayed for their ability to metabolize regular substrates of GPX enzymes. Data presented here show that the GPX5-expressing cells can metabolize hydrogen peroxide in a manner that is consistent with a peroxidase activity. However, the substrate preference of the GPX5-expressing cells and their apparent insensitivity to a regular inhibitor of GPX enzymes suggest that the GPX5 protein belongs to a particular class of GPX proteins. Involvement of this protein in the physiology of the mouse epididymis is discussed.