title: Biological activities of ribosome-inactivating proteins and their possible applications as antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-pest agents and in neuroscience research.
abstract: Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are enzymes which depurinate ribosomal RNA (rRNA), thus impeding the process of translation resulting in inhibition of protein synthesis. They are produced by various organisms including plants, fungi and bacteria. RIPs from plants are linked to plant defense due to their antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and insecticidal activities in which they can be applied in agriculture to combat microbial pathogens and pests. Their anticancer, antiviral, embryotoxic, and abortifacient properties may find medicinal applications. Besides, conjugation of RIPs with antibodies or other carriers to form immunotoxins has been found useful to research in neuroscience and anticancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Laboratory Research, Faculty of Technology, University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Zernikdreef 11, 2333 CK, Leiden, The Netherlands. ouafae@live.nl.
authors.forename: Ouafae
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akkouh
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. b021770@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Tzi Bun
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. chifaicheung@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Randy Chi Fai
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. b110590@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Jack Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. wenliangp@sina.com.
authors.forename: Wenliang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. charlene.cw.ng@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Charlene Cheuk Wing
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Shenzhen University Health Science Centre, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. shaou@szu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ou
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. pcshaw@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Pang Chui
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. chanwy@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Wai Yee
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000379:methods*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010575:Pesticides; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins
keywords: Anticancer; Antifungal; Antiviral; Insecticidal; Ribosome-inactivating proteins