Ribosome-inactivating proteins from plants

Pharmacological actions and potential uses of Momordica charantia: a review

Screening of selected indigenous plants of Lebanon for antimicrobial activity.

A homodimeric lectin adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and CM-Sepharose and possessing a molecular weight of 67 kDa was isolated from red kidney beans The hemagglutinating activity of this lectin was inhibited by glycoproteins but not by simple sugars The lectin manifested inhibitory activity on human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase and α-glucosidase The N-terminal sequence of the lectin exhibited some differences from previously reported lectins from Phaseolus vulgaris but showed some similarity to chitinases It exerted a suppressive effect on growth of the fungal species Fusarium oxysporum, Coprinus comatus, and Rhizoctonia solani The lectin had low ribonuclease and negligible translation-inhibitory activities

Isolation of a homodimeric lectin with antifungal and antiviral activities from red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds.

1. The biochemical characteristics and biological activities of eight Cucurbitaceae plant proteins designated trichosanthin (isolated from tubers of Trichosanthes kirilowii), beta-trichosanthin (isolated from tubers of Trichosanthes cucumeroides), alpha- and beta-momorcharins (isolated from seeds of Momordica charantia), momorchochin (isolated from tubers of Momordica cochinchinensis), luffaculin (isolated from seeds of Luffa acutangula) and luffin-a and luffin-b (isolated from seeds of Luffa cylindrica), were reviewed. 2. The isolation procedures for all eight proteins are based on aqueous extraction, acetone fractionation and ion exchange chromatography. Ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel filtration are steps which may be included to improve purification. 3. The proteins are basic in nature and possess a molecular weight of approx. 30,000. All except trichosanthin are glycoproteins. The content of Asx and Glx residues is high. The N-terminal amino acid residue is Asp. Their amino acid compositions and N-terminal amino acid sequences are similar. 4. Circular dichroism spectroscopic studies revealed that trichosanthin, alpha- and beta-momorcharins possess similar secondary but different tertiary structures. 5. Most of the proteins are immunologically distinct. 6. The proteins exhibit abortifacient, antitumor, ribosome inactivating and immunomodulatory activities. Trichosanthin manifests anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity.

Proteins with abortifacient, ribosome inactivating, immunomodulatory, antitumor and anti-AIDS activities from Cucurbitaceae plants.

Toxicities of trichosanthin and alpha-momorcharin, abortifacient proteins from Chinese medicinal plants, on cultured tumor cell lines

Selective killing of choriocarcinoma cells in vitro by trichosanthin, a plant protein purified from root tubers of the Chinese medicinal herb Trichosanthes kirilowii.

H.W. Yeung

Papers

Toxicities of trichosanthin and alpha-momorcharin, abortifacient proteins from Chinese medicinal plants, on cultured tumor cell lines

Selective killing of choriocarcinoma cells in vitro by trichosanthin, a plant protein purified from root tubers of the Chinese medicinal herb Trichosanthes kirilowii.