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Konozy EHE, Dirar AI, Osman MEM. Lectins of the Araceae family: Insights, distinctions, and future avenues-A three-decade investigation. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2024; 1868:130667. [PMID: 38971261 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2024.130667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
The Araceae family boasts >3000 species of flowering plants that thrive across the tropics. Among the focal points of study within this family are lectins, proteins with affinity for binding carbohydrates. This review endeavors to gather data gleaned from numerous studies conducted over the past three decades on lectins extracted from Araceae plants. Our examination spans their extraction and purification methods, their specific interactions with carbohydrates, their molecular structures, and various physicochemical characteristics. Furthermore, we investigated the biological activities of these lectins and investigated the outcomes of cloning their genes. Despite their apparent similarities, these lectins exhibit notable distinctions, particularly regarding their unique preferences in interacting with erythrocytes from animals and humans, their sugar affinities, the critical amino acids for their functionality, the molecular weights of their subunits and their respective topologies, and ultimately, their dimerization and 3D β-prism-II structure, which reportedly diverge from those observed in other GNA-related lectins. These discrepancies not only deepen our understanding of monocot lectins but also render these proteins inherently captivating. This review marks the inaugural attempt at consolidating almost all published reports on lectins from the Araceae family, with the aim of furnishing glycobiology scientists with essential insights into potential laboratory challenges, the characteristics of these lectins, and avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emadeldin Hassan E Konozy
- Department of Biotechnology, Africa City of Technology (ACT), Khartoum, Sudan; Biomedical and Clinical Research Centre (BCRC), College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
| | - Amina I Dirar
- Medicinal, Aromatic Plants and Traditional Medicine Research Institute (MAPTRI), National Center for Research, P.O. Box 2404, Mek Nimr Street, Khartoum, Sudan
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Aleebrahim-Dehkordi E, Soveyzi F, Saberianpour S, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Are Herbal-peptides Effective as Adjunctive Therapy in Coronavirus Disease COVID-19? Curr Drug Res Rev 2023; 15:29-34. [PMID: 36029074 DOI: 10.2174/2589977514666220826155013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant antiviral peptides (AVP) are macromolecules that can inhibit the pathogenesis of viruses by affecting their pathogenic mechanism, but most of these peptides can bind to cell membranes, inhibit viral receptors, and prevent viruses. Recently, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the availability of appropriate drugs with low side effects is needed. In this article, the importance of plant peptides in viral inhibition, especially viral inhibition of the coronavirus family, will be discussed. METHODS By searching the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, the latest articles on plant peptides effective on the COVID-19 virus were collected and reviewed. RESULTS Some proteins can act against the COVID-19 virus by blocking sensitive receptors in COVID-19, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The 23bp sequence of the ACE2 alpha receptor chain can be considered as a target for therapeutic peptides. Protease and RNAP inhibitors and other important receptors that are active against COVID-19 should also be considered. CONCLUSION Herbal medicines with AVP, especially those with a long history of antiviral effects, might be a good choice in complement therapy against the COVID-19 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Aleebrahim-Dehkordi
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Nutritional Health Team (NHT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Faezeh Soveyzi
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shirin Saberianpour
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
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Mammari N, Krier Y, Albert Q, Devocelle M, Varbanov M. Plant-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Antiviral Agents in Systemic Viral Infections. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14080774. [PMID: 34451871 PMCID: PMC8400714 DOI: 10.3390/ph14080774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have led to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of viruses in systemic infections for the development of prevention strategies and very promising antiviral therapies. Viruses still remain one of the main causes of human diseases, mainly because the development of new vaccines is usually challenging and drug resistance has become an increasing concern in recent decades. Therefore, the development of potential antiviral agents remains crucial and is an unmet clinical need. One abundant source of potential therapeutic molecules are plants: they biosynthesize a myriad of compounds, including peptides which can have antimicrobial activity. Our objective is to summarize the literature on peptides with antiviral properties derived from plants and to identify key features of these peptides and their application in systemic viral infections. This literature review highlights studies including clinical trials which demonstrated that plant cyclotides have the ability to inhibit the growth of viruses causing human diseases, defensin-like peptides possess anti-HIV-1 activity, and lipid transfer proteins and some lectins exhibit a varied antimicrobial profile. To conclude, plant peptides remain interesting to explore in the context of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Mammari
- L2CM, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, F-54000 Nancy, France;
| | - Ysaline Krier
- Faculté de Pharmacie, 7 Avenue de la Foret de Haye, 54505 Vandoeuvre-Les-Nancy, France;
| | - Quentin Albert
- Fungal Biodiversity and Biotechnology, INRAE/Aix-Marseille University, UMR1163, 13009 Marseille, France;
- CIRM-CF, INRAE/Aix Marseille University, UMR1163, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Marc Devocelle
- SSPC (SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals), V94T9PX Limerick, Ireland;
- Department of Chemistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 123, St. Stephen’s Green, D02 YN77 Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Mihayl Varbanov
- L2CM, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, F-54000 Nancy, France;
- Correspondence:
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Umeoguaju FU, Ephraim-Emmanuel BC, Patrick-Iwuanyanwu KC, Zelikoff JT, Orisakwe OE. Plant-Derived Food Grade Substances (PDFGS) Active Against Respiratory Viruses: A Systematic Review of Non-clinical Studies. Front Nutr 2021; 8:606782. [PMID: 33634160 PMCID: PMC7900554 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.606782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human diet comprises several classes of phytochemicals some of which are potentially active against human pathogenic viruses. This study examined available evidence that identifies existing food plants or constituents of edible foods that have been reported to inhibit viral pathogenesis of the human respiratory tract. SCOPUS and PUBMED databases were searched with keywords designed to retrieve articles that investigated the effect of plant-derived food grade substances (PDFGS) on the activities of human pathogenic viruses. Eligible studies for this review were those done on viruses that infect the human respiratory tract. Forty six (46) studies met the specified inclusion criteria from the initial 5,734 hits. The selected studies investigated the effects of different PDFGS on the infectivity, proliferation and cytotoxicity of different respiratory viruses including influenza A virus (IAV), influenza B virus (IBV), Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human parainfluenza virus (hPIV), Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), and rhinovirus (RV) in cell lines and mouse models. This review reveals that PDFGS inhibits different stages of the pathological pathways of respiratory viruses including cell entry, replication, viral release and viral-induced dysregulation of cellular homeostasis and functions. These alterations eventually lead to the reduction of virus titer, viral-induced cellular damages and improved survival of host cells. Major food constituents active against respiratory viruses include flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, lectins, vitamin D, curcumin, and plant glycosides such as glycyrrhizin, acteoside, geniposide, and iridoid glycosides. Herbal teas such as guava tea, green and black tea, adlay tea, cistanche tea, kuding tea, licorice extracts, and edible bird nest extracts were also effective against respiratory viruses in vitro. The authors of this review recommend an increased consumption of foods rich in these PDFGS including legumes, fruits (e.g berries, citrus), tea, fatty fish and curcumin amongst human populations with high prevalence of respiratory viral infections in order to prevent, manage and/or reduce the severity of respiratory virus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis U. Umeoguaju
- World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
| | - Benson C. Ephraim-Emmanuel
- World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- Department of Dental Health Sciences, Ogbia, Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otakeme, Nigeria
| | - Kingsley C. Patrick-Iwuanyanwu
- World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
| | - Judith T. Zelikoff
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Orish Ebere Orisakwe
- World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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Xu C, Tu W, Deng M, Jin Y, Lu B, Zhang C, Lin C, Wu Y, Liu W. Stereoselective induction of developmental toxicity and immunotoxicity by acetochlor in the early life stage of zebrafish. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 164:618-626. [PMID: 27635644 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Acetochlor (ACT) has been frequently detected in the aquatic environment and implicated in disruption of the immune system in fish, the mechanisms of which, especially at enantiomeric levels, remains unclear. In the present study, embryonic zebrafish were exposed to ACT and its enantiomers at concentrations of 0, 2, 8, 15, 30 and 60 μM from 2 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 72 hpf. We demonstrated that ACT and its enantiomers could cause time- and concentration-dependent mortality (72 h LC50 ranged from 48.4 to 53.1 μM) and developmental malformations (e.g., 48 h EC50 for yolk sac edema ranged from 36.7 to 54.1 μM), as well as increase transcription of the key genes involved in the innate immune system. A consistent enantioselectivity in these endpoints was observed with (-)-R-ACT showed stronger effects than (+)-S-ACT, and the transcription levels of il-1β exhibited significant enantioselectivity at concentrations as low as 8 μM. Further Western blot analysis revealed that significant elevations of Il-1β protein expression in all (-)-R-ACT treatment groups. According to the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, the enantioselectivity between ACT enantiomers was attributed to the distinct binding affinity to Il-1β. Overall, our in vivo and in silico studies uniquely disclosed the enantioselective immunotoxicity of ACT and its underlying mechanisms and highlighted the need to evaluate the environmental risk of chiral chloroacetamide herbicide in aquatic organisms at enantiomeric levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Xu
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China
| | - Wenqing Tu
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China; Research Institute of Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330029, China.
| | - Mi Deng
- Research Institute of Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330029, China; Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake of Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Yuanxiang Jin
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China
| | - Bin Lu
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China
| | - Chaonan Zhang
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China
| | - Chunmian Lin
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China
| | - Yongming Wu
- Research Institute of Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330029, China
| | - Weiping Liu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Akkouh O, Ng TB, Singh SS, Yin C, Dan X, Chan YS, Pan W, Cheung RCF. Lectins with anti-HIV activity: a review. Molecules 2015; 20:648-68. [PMID: 25569520 PMCID: PMC6272367 DOI: 10.3390/molecules20010648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lectins including flowering plant lectins, algal lectins, cyanobacterial lectins, actinomycete lectin, worm lectins, and the nonpeptidic lectin mimics pradimicins and benanomicins, exhibit anti-HIV activity. The anti-HIV plant lectins include Artocarpus heterophyllus (jacalin) lectin, concanavalin A, Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) agglutinin-related lectins, Musa acuminata (banana) lectin, Myrianthus holstii lectin, Narcissus pseudonarcissus lectin, and Urtica diocia agglutinin. The anti-HIV algal lectins comprise Boodlea coacta lectin, Griffithsin, Oscillatoria agardhii agglutinin. The anti-HIV cyanobacterial lectins are cyanovirin-N, scytovirin, Microcystis viridis lectin, and microvirin. Actinohivin is an anti-HIV actinomycete lectin. The anti-HIV worm lectins include Chaetopterus variopedatus polychaete marine worm lectin, Serpula vermicularis sea worm lectin, and C-type lectin Mermaid from nematode (Laxus oneistus). The anti-HIV nonpeptidic lectin mimics comprise pradimicins and benanomicins. Their anti-HIV mechanisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouafae Akkouh
- Department of Biology and Medical Laboratory Research, Faculty of Technology, University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Zernikdreef 11, 2333 CK Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Tzi Bun Ng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Senjam Sunil Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, India.
| | - Cuiming Yin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xiuli Dan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Yau Sang Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Wenliang Pan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Randy Chi Fai Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
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Purification and characterization of the lectin from taro (Colocasia esculenta) and its effect on mouse splenocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Protein J 2014; 33:92-9. [PMID: 24395119 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-013-9541-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Lectins are proteins found in a wide range of organisms, with the ability to bind reversibly to specific carbohydrates. They can display important biological activities, such as the activation of the cell cycle in lymphocytes. Storage proteins with lectin activity have been reported in tuberous plant species, such as Colocasia esculenta, popularly known as taro. A simple strategy based on Cibacron Blue chromatography was used to purify a 12 kDa polypeptide 1.3-fold, with a recovery of 30 %. The purified protein was identified as tarin by mass spectrometry, which indicated that it was present in G1a/G1d isoforms. Tarin exhibited both agglutinating activity against hamster erythrocytes and mitogenic activity in vitro and in vivo toward mouse splenocytes. Optimum cellular proliferation in vitro was achieved by 625 ng of the crude extract or 500 ng of the purified tarin. Total mouse splenocyte proliferation measured after 5 days of intraperitoneal inoculation of purified tarin was increased 3.3-fold in comparison to the control group. Half of the proliferating cells were identified as B lymphocytes by flow cytometry. These results show that this is an efficient and simple strategy to purify tarin and aid in establishing this protein as a new therapeutic drug, able to promote cell proliferation in a murine model.
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Li C, Chen J, Lu B, Shi Z, Wang H, Zhang B, Zhao K, Qi W, Bao J, Wang Y. Molecular switch role of Akt in Polygonatum odoratum lectin-induced apoptosis and autophagy in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101526. [PMID: 24992302 PMCID: PMC4081584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Polygonatum odoratum lectin (POL), isolated from traditional Chinese medicine herb (Mill.) Druce, has drawn rising attention due to its wide biological activities. In the present study, anti-tumor effects, including apoptosis- and autophagy-inducing properties of POL, were determined by a series of cell biology methods such as MTT, cellular morphology observation, flow cytometry, immunoblotting. Herein, we found that POL could simultaneously induce apoptosis and autophagy in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. POL initiated apoptosis through inhibiting Akt-NF-κB pathway, while POL triggered autophagy via suppressing Akt-mTOR pathway, suggesting the molecular switch role of Akt in regulating between POL-induced apoptosis and autophagy. Moreover, ROS was involved in POL-induced inhibition of Akt expression, and might therefore mediate both apoptosis and autophagy in A549 cells. In addition, POL displayed no significant cytotoxicity toward normal human embryonic lung fibroblast HELF cells. Due to the anti-tumor activities, POL might become a potent anti-cancer drug in future therapy, which might pave the way for exploring GNA-related lectins into effective drugs in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Li
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Central Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Bangmin Lu
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zheng Shi
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hailian Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Organ Transplantation, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kailiang Zhao
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Qi
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinku Bao
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- * E-mail: (JB); (YW)
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
- Center for Perinatal Research, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JB); (YW)
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Lu Q, Cai Z, Fu J, Luo S, Liu C, Li X, Zhao D. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies on the interactions of hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers to estrogen receptor alpha. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2014; 101:83-89. [PMID: 24507131 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Environmental estrogens have attracted great concerns. Recent studies have indicated that some hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (HO-PBDEs) can interact with estrogen receptor (ER), and exhibit estrogenic activity. However, interactions between HO-PBDEs and ER are not well understood. In this work, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to characterize interactions of two HO-PBDEs (4'-HO-BDE30 and 4'-HO-BDE121) with ERα. Surflex-Dock was employed to reveal the probable binding conformations of the compounds at the active site of ERα; MD simulation was used to determine the detailed binding process. The driving forces of the binding between HO-PBDEs and ERα were van der Waals and electrostatic interactions. The decomposition of the binding free energy indicated that the hydrogen bonds between the residues Glu353, Gly521 and ligands were crucial for anchoring the ligands into the active site of ERα and stabilizing their conformations. The results showed that different interaction modes and different specific interactions with some residues were responsible for the different estrogenic activities of the two HO-PBDEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Lu
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wenhua College, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zhengqing Cai
- Environmental Engineering Program, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jie Fu
- Environmental Engineering Program, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
| | - Siyi Luo
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao 266033, China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaolin Li
- Yunnan Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Kunming 650228, China
| | - Dongye Zhao
- Environmental Engineering Program, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
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Shi Z, An N, Zhao S, Li X, Bao JK, Yue BS. In silico analysis of molecular mechanisms of legume lectin-induced apoptosis in cancer cells. Cell Prolif 2013; 46:86-96. [PMID: 23294355 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 10/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The legume lectin family, one of the most extensively studied plant lectin families, has received increasing attention for the remarkable anti-tumor activities of its members for binding specific cancer cell surface glycoconjugates. MicroRNAs, a class of small, non-coding RNAs, control translation and stability of mRNAs at post-transcriptional and translational levels. To date, accumulating evidence has revealed that microRNAs are involved in progression of a number of human diseases, especially cancers. However, the molecular manners of microRNA-modulated apoptosis in legume lectin-treated cancer cells are still under investigation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed in silico analyses to study the interactions between three typical legume lectins (ConA, SFL and SAL) and some specific sugar-containing receptors (for example, EGFR, TNFR1, HSP70 and HSP90). Additionally, we predicted some relevant microRNAs which could significantly regulate these aforementioned targetreceptors and thus inhibiting down-stream cancer-related signaling pathways. RESULTS The results showed that these three legume lectins could competitively bind sugar-containing receptors such as EGFR, TNFR1, HSP70 and HSP90 in two ways, via anti-apoptotic or survival pathways. On the one hand, the legume lectins could induce cancer cell death through triggering receptor-mediated signaling pathways, which resulted from indirect binding between legume lectins and mannoses resided in receptors. On the other hand, direct binding between legume lectins and receptors could lead to steric hindrance, which would disturb efficient interactions between them, and thus, the legume lectins would induce cancer cell death by triggering receptor-mediated signaling pathways. In addition, we identified several relevant microRNAs that regulated these targeted receptors, thereby ultimately causing cancer cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide new perspectives for exploring microRNA-modulated cell death in legume lectin-treated cancer cells, which could be utilized in combination therapy for future cancer drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Shi
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
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