SelW is widely distributed in tissues of mammals with the
greatest quantities in skeletal muscle. The
regulation of SelW by dietary Se was firstly described in
rats, and it became dramatically decreased in skeletal
muscles of Se-deficient animals . SelW levels in
all tissues of sheep except that in brain are sensitive to
selenium status . And this selenoprotein in rodents ,
pigs, and primates are also generally
sensitive to Se status, indicating that it may play a role in
the metabolism of muscle tissues. However, the regulation
of SelW by Se is different for various tissues and differs
among different species.