title: Two proteins with ribosome-inactivating, cytotoxic and abortifacient activities from seeds of Luffa cylindrica roem (Cucurbitaceae).
abstract: Two immunologically distinct glycoproteins, with a molecular weight of 28,000 and 28,500 respectively, were isolated from seeds of Luffa cylindrica using a procedure that involved acetone precipitation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 and ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sepharose CL-6B. The proteins differed in the content of aspartic acid, threonine, proline and alanine but were otherwise similar in amino acid composition. The proteins were capable of inducing mid-term abortion in mice, inhibiting protein synthesis in a cell-free system and suppressing thymidine uptake by human choriocarcinoma cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D051379:Mice; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D000596:Amino Acids; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors