title: Studies on the galactose-binding site of ricin and the hybrid toxin Man6P-ricin.
abstract: N-acetylimidazole (NAI) was used to O-acetylate the plant seed toxin ricin. O-acetylation of one to two tyrosine residues per molecule of ricin inhibited ricin binding to Sepharose 4B and decreased toxicity by 90% in a protein synthesis inhibition assay in HeLa cells. Lactose, known to block the binding site on the ricin B subunit, protected ricin from NAI modification of binding or toxicity. Thus NAI, under these conditions, can be a lactose site-specific inhibitor. The lactose site-specific modification of the hybrid toxin, Man6P-ricin, performed under the same conditions, exhibited the same 90% inhibition of Man6P receptor-mediated toxicity as the galactose-containing receptor-mediated toxicity of either Man6P-ricin or ricin. Thus the ricin B chain lactose-binding site appears to be essential for the high potency of Man6P-ricin via the new cell type-specific Man6P receptor. Treatment of fibroblasts with neuraminidase exposes galactose residues, thus increasing the sensitivity to ricin eight fold. The Man6P receptor-mediated toxicity of Man6P-ricin is not affected by this treatment, although the galactose-inhibited route is potentiated eight fold. The Man6P-ricin hybrid appears to require the ricin B chain galactose-binding site to enter the cytosol after initially binding to the Man6P receptor. These data provide some insights into the proper design of hybrid toxins. We discuss a number of possible models for hybrid toxin entry.
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D001665:Binding Sites; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D006898:Hydroxylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008360:Mannosephosphates; D012276:Ricin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D006898:Hydroxylamines; D008360:Mannosephosphates; D012276:Ricin; D005690:Galactose