title: Modulation of trichosanthin antigenicity by coupling to dextran.
abstract: Trichosanthin (TCS) is a plant-derived type I ribosome-inactivating protein with a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities. Recently, it was covalently coupled to dextran in order to prolong its half-life in plasma. The major biological activities were generally retained but at lower potency. The immunogenicity of the dextran-trichosanthin (DX-TCS) was compared to that of TCS itself in this study. The results showed that mice immunized with TCS produced 8 times as much TCS-reactive IgE than those immunized with DX-TCS. However, both TCS and DX-TCS immunization produced similar titers of TCS-reactive IgG. A trace of dextran-reactive IgG was detected in mice immunized with DX-TCS. Thus, coupling of TCS to dextran reduced its antigenicity but slightly enhanced that of dextran, and the conjugate elicited less IgE than TCS.
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D003911:Dextrans / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D015978:Trichosanthin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000941:Antigens; D003911:Dextrans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D015978:Trichosanthin