title: A mannose-binding lectin from Sophora flavescens induces apoptosis in HeLa cells.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-tumor activity of a lectin from Sophora flavescens and explore its potential apoptotic induction mechanism. Here, an elegant series of biochemical and cell biology methods were carried out in a sequential procedure (e.g., MTT, cell morphologic changes and LDH assays, DNA ladder as well as flow cytometric assay). As a result, we found that this lectin shows a strong cytotoxicity against HeLa cells and induces apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, according to caspase inhibition and Western blot analysis, we further demonstrated that it is a typical caspase-dependent apoptotic mechanism. Furthermore, we also exerted some bioinformatics methods to identify the mannose-binding specificity of this lectin. In conclusion, all experimental results demonstrated that this lectin seems to be a potent anti-tumor agent for its cytotoxicity and apoptosis effects on HeLa cells. Also, bioinformatics analyses showed that this lectin is speculated to bind a certain mannose-containing receptor on cancer cell surface thereby initiating downstream caspase cascade.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zi-Ting
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: He-Jiao
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.forename: Ming-Wei
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Yan-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jin-Ku
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bao
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029909:Sophora / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin