Characterization of ricin toxin family members from Ricinus communis.
Ricin inhibits translation by removal of a specific adenine from 28S RNA. The Ricinus communis genome encodes seven full-length ricin family members. All encoded proteins have the ability of hydrolyzing adenine in 28S rRNA. As expected, these proteins also inhibited an in vitro transcription/translation system. These data show that the ricin gene family contains at least seven members that have the ability to inhibit translation and that may contribute to the toxicity of R. communis.
Leshin
Jonathan
J
Department of Pharmacology, Georgetown University, 3900 Reservoir Road, Basic Science Building, Room 309, Washington, DC 20057, USA. jleshin@umd.edu
Danielsen
Mark
M
Credle
Joel J
JJ
Weeks
Andrea
A
O'Connell
Kevin P
KP
Dretchen
Kenneth
K
D000818:Animals; D018745:Genome, Plant; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000235:genetics; D011817:Rabbits; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D012276:Ricin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D012278:Ricinus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S; D012276:Ricin