Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that plays a key role in regulating the immune system. T cells are of particular interest due to their important role in promoting adaptive immunity against pathogens and cancer as well as regulating tolerance, all of which are influenced by dietary Se levels. The biological effects of Se are mainly exerted through the actions of the proteins into which it is inserted, i.e. selenoproteins. Thus, the roles that selenoproteins play in regulating T cell biology and molecular mechanisms involved have emerged as important areas of research for understanding how selenium affects immunity. Members of this diverse family of proteins exhibit a wide variety of functions within T cells that include regulating calcium flux induced by T cell receptor (TCR) engagement, shaping the redox tone of T cells before, during, and after activation, and linking TCR-induced activation to metabolic reprogramming required for T cell proliferation and differentiation. This review summarizes recent insights into the roles that selenoproteins play in these processes and their implications in understanding how Se may influence immunity.

硒 (Se) 是一种必需的微量营养素，在调节免疫系统中起关键作用。T 细胞特别受关注，因为它们在促进针对病原体和癌症的适应性免疫以及调节耐受性方面发挥重要作用，所有这些都受膳食硒水平的影响。硒的生物学作用主要是通过它所插入的蛋白质，即硒蛋白的作用来发挥的。因此，硒蛋白在调节 T 细胞生物学和所涉及的分子机制中所起的作用已成为了解硒如何影响免疫的重要研究领域。这一多样化蛋白质家族的成员在 T 细胞内表现出多种功能，包括调节由 T 细胞受体 (TCR) 参与诱导的钙通量，在之前、期间塑造 T 细胞的氧化还原基调，和激活后，将 TCR 诱导的激活与 T 细胞增殖和分化所需的代谢重编程联系起来。这篇综述总结了最近对硒蛋白在这些过程中所起的作用的见解，以及它们在理解硒如何影响免疫方面的意义。