title: Current status of ribosome inactivating proteins.
abstract: Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) are a group of naturally occurring plant proteins with a RNA-N-glycosidases activity which depurinate rRNA at a specific universally conserved position (i.e. cleavage of N-glycosidic bond of a specific adenine of 28S rRNA). These proteins are found in different parts of plants, in concentrations ranging from a few micrograms to several hundred mg per 100 g of plant tissues. RIPs exist in two forms, type 1 having a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of approximately 30 kDa possessing N-glycosidase activity; and type 2 with two or four polypeptide chains having a molecular mass of approximately 60 kDa and approximately 120 kDa respectively showing lectin activity along with N-glycosidase moiety. Such biomolecules causing cytotoxicity are being exploited for designing immunotoxins/hormonotoxins using heterobifunctional conjugates. These carrier conjugates with the RIPs can influence cellular trafficking and inhibition of protein synthesis. We are witnessing a novel protein from plants that can be utilised for various therapeutical treatments ranging from cancers, AIDS and other viral diseases of present times.
authors.affiliation: Hormone Biochemistry Laboratory, North-Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins