Isolation of pisumin, a novel antifungal protein from legumes of the sugar snap pea Pisum sativum var macrocarpon

Natural proteins: Sources, isolation, characterization and applications

Worldwide, plant protein contributes substantially as a food resource because it contains essential amino acids for meeting human physiological requirements. However, many versatile plant proteins are used as medicinal agents as they are produced by using molecular tools of biotechnology. Proteins can be obtained from plants, animals and microorganism cells. The abundant economical proteins can be obtained from plant seeds. These natural proteins are obtained by isolation procedures depending on the physicochemical properties of proteins. Isolation and purification of single protein from cells containing mixtures of unrelated proteins is achievable due to the physical and chemical attributes of proteins. The following characteristics are unique to each protein: Amino acid composition, sequence, subunit structures, size, shape, net charge, isoelectric point, solubility, heat stability and hydrophobicity. Based on these properties, various methods of isolation exist, like salting out and isoionic precipitation. Purification of proteins is quiet challenging and, therefore, several approaches like sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and chromatography are available. Characterization of proteins can be performed by mass spectrometry/liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The amino acid sequence of a protein can be detected by using tandem mass spectrometry. In this article, a review has been made on the sources, isolation, purification and characterization of natural proteins.

Limenin, a defensin-like peptide with multiple exploitable activities from shelf beans

From the seeds of the shelf bean, an antifungal peptide with a molecular mass of 6.5 kDa was isolated. The isolation procedure comprised affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography on Mono S, and gel filtration on Superdex 75. The peptide was adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and Mono S. It potently suppressed mycelial growth in Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, and Mycosphaerella arachidicola with an IC(50) of 2.9, 2.1, and 0.34 microM, respectively. It exerted antibacterial activity toward several bacterial species with an IC(50) approximating 100 microM. [Methyl-(3)H]-thymidine incorporation into isolated mouse splenocytes was stimulated. [Methyl-(3)H]-thymidine incorporation into M1 (myeloma) and L1210 (leukemia) cells was inhibited. The peptide reduced the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and also inhibited translation in a cell-free rabbit reticulocyte lysate system.

Purification and characterization of a chitinase-like antifungal protein from black turtle bean with stimulatory effect on nitric oxide production by macrophages

An antifungal protein was isolated from black turtle bean, Phaseolus vulgaris cv. "Black Turtle". The purified protein displayed an N-terminal amino acid sequence with 60-80% homology to chitinases. The isolated protein specifically inhibited two species of fungi, namely Fusarium oxysporum and Mycosphaerella arachidicola , among several phytopathogenic fungi tested. Its antifungal activity was retained after incubation at 60 degrees C for 15 minutes, diminished after exposure to 80 degrees C, and was completely abrogated after treatment at 100 degrees C. The antifungal protein had higher thermostability than the antifungal protein mollisin from chestnut. It stimulated nitric oxide production by murine peritoneal macrophages, but exerted neither mitogenic nor cytotoxic activity on murine splenocytes, activities that may be related to allergic responses.

Actinchinin, a novel antifungal protein from the gold kiwi fruit

An antifungal protein designated actinchinin, with an N-terminal sequence different from that of the thaumatin-like antifungal protein from green kiwi fruit, was isolated from the gold kiwi fruit. The antifungal protein, unlike its counterpart from green kiwi fruit, did not exert antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea, but was active against Fusarium oxysporum which was unresponsive to thaumatin-like protein from green kiwi fruit. Actinchinin was isolated using a protocol that comprised ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on Mono S, and gel filtration by FPLC on Superdex 75. Actinchinin was adsorbed on CM-cellulose, Affi-gel blue gel and Mono S. It was devoid of mitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes. In contrast to thaumatin-like protein from green kiwi fruit, actinchinin lacked HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibiting activity.