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Morrison G, Henry N, Kopytynski M, Chen R. A bioinspired pseudopeptide-based intracellular delivery platform enhances the cytotoxicity of a ribosome-inactivating protein through multiple death pathways. Biomater Sci 2024. [PMID: 39177215 PMCID: PMC11342633 DOI: 10.1039/d4bm00600c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Saporin is a 28 621 Da protein and plant toxin possessing rRNA N-glycosidase activity. Due to its potent ribosome-inactivating ability, saporin is commonly studied as an anticancer agent. However, its enzymatic activity is greatly hindered by its poor plasma membrane permeability. To overcome this barrier, we used a bioinspired intracellular delivery platform based on the pH-responsive pseudopeptide, poly(L-lysine isophthalamide) grafted with L-phenylalanine at a stoichiometric molar percentage of 50% (PP50). PP50 was co-incubated with saporin (PP50/saporin) in a mildly acidic pH environment to aid intracellular delivery and increase saporin's therapeutic potential. We demonstrated that PP50 greatly enhanced the cytotoxicity of saporin in the 2D monolayer of A549 cells and 3D A549 multicellular spheroids whilst remaining non-toxic when administered alone. To elucidate the mechanism of cell death, we assessed the activation of caspases, the inhibition of protein synthesis, the onset of apoptosis and the mechanism of PP50/saporin entry. Inhibition of protein synthesis and activation of caspases 3/7, 8 and 9 were found to occur before the onset of apoptosis and cell death. PP50/saporin was also shown to rely on micropinocytosis and caveolae-mediated endocytosis for cell entry. In addition, fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled saporin (FITC-saporin) was localized within the cytoplasm and nuclei when delivered with Cyanine5-labelled PP50 (Cy5-PP50). Taken together, this suggests that multiple pathways are triggered to initiate apoptosis and cell death in cells treated with PP50/saporin. Therefore, these results make PP50 a potential intracellular delivery platform for the internalization of protein therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Morrison
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Nicole Henry
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Michal Kopytynski
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Rongjun Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
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2
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Kocyigit E, Kocaadam-Bozkurt B, Bozkurt O, Ağagündüz D, Capasso R. Plant Toxic Proteins: Their Biological Activities, Mechanism of Action and Removal Strategies. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:356. [PMID: 37368657 PMCID: PMC10303728 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15060356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants evolve to synthesize various natural metabolites to protect themselves against threats, such as insects, predators, microorganisms, and environmental conditions (such as temperature, pH, humidity, salt, and drought). Plant-derived toxic proteins are often secondary metabolites generated by plants. These proteins, including ribosome-inactivating proteins, lectins, protease inhibitors, α-amylase inhibitors, canatoxin-like proteins and ureases, arcelins, antimicrobial peptides, and pore-forming toxins, are found in different plant parts, such as the roots, tubers, stems, fruits, buds, and foliage. Several investigations have been conducted to explore the potential applications of these plant proteins by analyzing their toxic effects and modes of action. In biomedical applications, such as crop protection, drug development, cancer therapy, and genetic engineering, toxic plant proteins have been utilized as potentially useful instruments due to their biological activities. However, these noxious metabolites can be detrimental to human health and cause problems when consumed in high amounts. This review focuses on different plant toxic proteins, their biological activities, and their mechanisms of action. Furthermore, possible usage and removal strategies for these proteins are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emine Kocyigit
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Ordu University, Cumhuriyet Yerleşkesi, 52200 Ordu, Turkey;
| | - Betul Kocaadam-Bozkurt
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Erzurum Technical University, Yakutiye, 25100 Erzurum, Turkey; (B.K.-B.); (O.B.)
| | - Osman Bozkurt
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Erzurum Technical University, Yakutiye, 25100 Erzurum, Turkey; (B.K.-B.); (O.B.)
| | - Duygu Ağagündüz
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Gazi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Emek, 06490 Ankara, Turkey;
| | - Raffaele Capasso
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
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3
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Sheikhalipour M, Mohammadi SA, Esmaielpour B, Spanos A, Mahmoudi R, Mahdavinia GR, Milani MH, Kahnamoei A, Nouraein M, Antoniou C, Kulak M, Gohari G, Fotopoulos V. Seedling nanopriming with selenium-chitosan nanoparticles mitigates the adverse effects of salt stress by inducing multiple defence pathways in bitter melon plants. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 242:124923. [PMID: 37211072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Advances in the nanotechnology fields provided crucial applications in plant sciences, contributing to the plant performance and health under stress and stress-free conditions. Amid the applications, selenium (Se), chitosan and their conjugated forms as nanoparticles (Se-CS NPs) have been revealed to have potential of alleviating the harmful effects of the stress on several crops and subsequently enhancing the growth and productivity. The present study was addressed to assay the potential effects of Se-CS NPs in reversing or buffering the harmful effects of salt stress on growth, photosynthesis, nutrient concentration, antioxidant system and defence transcript levels in bitter melon )Momordica charantia(. In addition, some secondary metabolite-related genes were explicitly examined. In this regard, the transcriptional levels of WRKY1, SOS1, PM H+-ATPase, SKOR, Mc5PTase7, SOAR1, MAP30, α-MMC, polypeptide-P and PAL were quantified. Our results demonstrated that Se-CS NPs increased growth parameters, photosynthesis parameters (SPAD, Fv/Fm, Y(II)), antioxidant enzymatic activity (POD, SOD, CAT) and nutrient homeostasis (Na+/K+, Ca2+, and Cl-) and induced the expression of genes in bitter melon plants under salt stress (p ≤ 0.05). Therefore, applying Se-CS NPs might be a simple and effective way of improving crop plants' overall health and yield under salt stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morteza Sheikhalipour
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Mohagheh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran; Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Seyed Abolghasem Mohammadi
- Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran; Center for Cell Pathology, Department of Life Sciences, Khazar University, Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Behrooz Esmaielpour
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Mohagheh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Alexandros Spanos
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Roghayeh Mahmoudi
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Gholam Reza Mahdavinia
- Polymer Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran
| | | | - Amir Kahnamoei
- Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Nouraein
- Department of Plant Genetics and Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran
| | - Chrystalla Antoniou
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Muhittin Kulak
- Department of Herbal and Animal Production, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Igdir University, Türkiye
| | - Gholamreza Gohari
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology Limassol, Cyprus; Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran.
| | - Vasileios Fotopoulos
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology Limassol, Cyprus.
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4
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Wei Z, Yang L, Liu W, Xu X, Ran M, Jin Y, Sun X. MAP30 and luffin-α: Novel ribosome-inactivating proteins induce plant systemic resistance against plant viruses. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 191:105342. [PMID: 36963924 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2023.105342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are toxic N-glycosylase that act on eukaryotic and prokaryotic rRNAs, resulting in arrest protein synthesis. RIPs are widely found in higher plant species and display strong antiviral activity. Previous studies have shown that PAP and α-MMC have antiviral activity against TMV. However, the localization of RIPs in plant cells and the mechanism by which RIPs activate plant defense against several plant viruses remain unclear. In this study, we obtained four RIPs (the C-terminal deletion mutant of pokeweed antiviral proteins (PAP-c), alpha-momorcharin (α-MMC), momordica anti-HIV protein of 30 kDa (MAP30) and luffin-α). The subcellular localization results indicated that these four RIPs were located on the plant cell membrane. Heterologous expression of RIPs (PAP-c, α-MMC, MAP30, luffin-α) enhanced tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) resistance in N. benthamiana. Compared with the control treatment, these RIPs significantly reduced the TMV content (149-357 fold) and altered the movement of TMV in the leaves of N. benthamiana. At the same time, heterologous expression of RIPs (MAP30 and luffin-α) could relieve TMV-induced oxidative damage, significantly inducing the expression of plant defense genes including PR1 and PR2. Furthermore, application of these RIPs could inhibit the infection of turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and potato virus x (PVX). Therefore, this study demonstrated that MAP30 and luffin-α could be considered as new, effective RIPs for controlling plant viruses by activating plant systemic defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouling Wei
- College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Liang Yang
- College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Weina Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Chongqing Tobacco Science Research Institute, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Mao Ran
- Chongqing Tobacco Science Research Institute, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Yabo Jin
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industry Corporation Limited, Nanning 530001, China.
| | - Xianchao Sun
- College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
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5
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Amirzadeh N, Moghadam A, Niazi A, Afsharifar A. Recombinant anti-HIV MAP30, a ribosome inactivating protein: against plant virus and bacteriophage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2091. [PMID: 36747030 PMCID: PMC9902390 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29365-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) efficiently decrease the microbial infections in plants. Momordica charantia MAP30 is a type I RIP that has not been investigated against plant viruses or bacteriophages. To evaluate of these activities, the recombinant MAP30 (rMAP30) was produced in the hairy roots of Nicotiana tabacum. Inoculation of 3 μg of transgenic total protein or 0.6 μg of rMAP30 against 0.1 μg of TMV reduced the leaf necrotic spots to 78.23% and 82.72%, respectively. The treatment of 0.1 μg of CMV with rMAP30 (0.6 μg) showed the reduction in the leaf necrotic spots to 85.8%. While the infection was increased after rMAP30 dilution. In the time interval assays, the leaves were first inoculated with 1 μg of rMAP30 or 0.1 μg of purified TMV or CMV agent for 6 h, then virus or protein was applied in order. This led the spot reduction to 35.22% and 67% for TMV, and 38.61% and 55.31% for CMV, respectively. In both the pre- and co-treatments of 1:10 or 1:20 diluted bacteriophage with 15 μg of transgenic total protein, the number and diameter of the plaques were reduced. The results showed that the highest inhibitory effect was observed in the pre-treatment assay of bacteriophage with transgenic total protein for 24 h. The decrease in the growth of bacteriophage caused more growth pattern of Escherichia coli. The results confirm that rMAP30 shows antibacterial activity against Streptococcus aureus and E. coli, antifungal activity against Candida albicans, and antiviral activity against CMV and TMV. Moreover, rMAP30 exhibits anti-phage activity for the first time. According to our findings, rMAP30 might be a valuable preservative agent in foods and beverages in the food industry as well as an antiviral and antimicrobial mixture in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafiseh Amirzadeh
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Moghadam
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Alireza Afsharifar
- Center of Plant Virology Research, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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6
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Wani SS, Dar PA, Zargar SM, Dar TA. Therapeutic Potential of Medicinal Plant Proteins: Present Status and Future Perspectives. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2021; 21:443-487. [PMID: 31746291 DOI: 10.2174/1389203720666191119095624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Biologically active molecules obtained from plant sources, mostly including secondary metabolites, have been considered to be of immense value with respect to the treatment of various human diseases. However, some inevitable limitations associated with these secondary metabolites like high cytotoxicity, low bioavailability, poor absorption, low abundance, improper metabolism, etc., have forced the scientific community to explore medicinal plants for alternate biologically active molecules. In this context, therapeutically active proteins/peptides from medicinal plants have been promoted as a promising therapeutic intervention for various human diseases. A large number of proteins isolated from the medicinal plants have been shown to exhibit anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-HIV, anticancerous, ribosome-inactivating and neuro-modulatory activities. Moreover, with advanced technological developments in the medicinal plant research, medicinal plant proteins such as Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor and Mistletoe Lectin-I are presently under clinical trials against prostate cancer, oral carcinomas and malignant melanoma. Despite these developments and proteins being potential drug candidates, to date, not a single systematic review article has documented the therapeutical potential of the available biologically active medicinal plant proteome. The present article was therefore designed to describe the current status of the therapeutically active medicinal plant proteins/peptides vis-à-vis their potential as future protein-based drugs for various human diseases. Future insights in this direction have also been highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snober Shabeer Wani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Parvaiz A Dar
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Sajad M Zargar
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, S. K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Srinagar, Shalimar-190025, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Tanveer A Dar
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
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7
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Sagini MN, Klika KD, Orry A, Zepp M, Mutiso J, Berger MR. Riproximin Exhibits Diversity in Sugar Binding, and Modulates some Metastasis-Related Proteins with Lectin like Properties in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:549804. [PMID: 33328982 PMCID: PMC7734336 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.549804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Riproximin (Rpx) is a type II ribosome-inactivating protein with specific anti-proliferative activity. It was purified from Ximenia americana by affinity chromatography using a resin coupled with lactosyl residues. The same technique facilitated isolation of proteins with lectin-like properties from human Suit2-007 and rat ASML pancreatic cancer cells, which were termed lactosyl-sepharose binding proteins (LSBPs). The role of these proteins in cancer progression was investigated at mRNA level using chip array data of Suit2-007 and ASML cells re-isolated from nude rats. These data compared significant mRNA expression changes when relating primary (pancreas) and metastatic (liver) sites following orthotopic and intraportal implantation of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells, respectively. The affinity of Rpx to 13 simple sugar structures was modeled by docking experiments, the ranking of which was principally confirmed by NMR-spectroscopy. In addition, Rpx and LSBPs were evaluated for anti-proliferative activity and their cellular uptake was assessed by fluorescence microscopy. From 13 monosaccharides evaluated, open-chain rhamnose, β-d-galactose, and α-l-galactopyranose showed the highest affinities for site 1 of Rpx’s B-chain. NMR evaluation yielded a similar ranking, as galactose was among the best binders. Both, Rpx and LSBPs reduced cell proliferation in vitro, but their anti-proliferative effects were decreased by 15–20% in the presence of galactose. The program “Ingenuity Pathway Analysis” identified 2,415 genes showing significantly modulated mRNA expression following exposure of Suit2-007 cells to Rpx in vitro. These genes were then matched to those 1,639 genes, which were significantly modulated in the rat model when comparing primary and metastatic growth of Suit2-007 cells. In this overlap analysis, LSBP genes were considered separately. The potential suitability of Rpx for treating metastatic Suit2-007 PDAC cells was reflected by those genes, which were modulated by Rpx in a way opposite to that observed in cancer progression. Remarkably, these were 14% of all genes modulated during cancer progression, but 71% of the respective LSBP gene subgroup. Based on these findings, we predict that Rpx has the potential to treat PDAC metastasis by modulating genes involved in metastatic progression, especially by targeting LSBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah N Sagini
- Toxicology and Chemotherapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karel D Klika
- Molecular Structure Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Michael Zepp
- Toxicology and Chemotherapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joshua Mutiso
- Toxicology and Chemotherapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Zoological Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Martin R Berger
- Toxicology and Chemotherapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
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8
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Lu JQ, Zhu ZN, Zheng YT, Shaw PC. Engineering of Ribosome-inactivating Proteins for Improving Pharmacological Properties. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12030167. [PMID: 32182799 PMCID: PMC7150887 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12030167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are N-glycosidases, which depurinate a specific adenine residue in the conserved α-sarcin/ricin loop (α-SRL) of rRNA. This loop is important for anchoring elongation factor (EF-G for prokaryote or eEF2 for eukaryote) in mRNA translocation. Translation is inhibited after the attack. RIPs therefore may have been applied for anti-cancer, and anti-virus and other therapeutic applications. The main obstacles of treatment with RIPs include short plasma half-life, non-selective cytotoxicity and antigenicity. This review focuses on the strategies used to improve the pharmacological properties of RIPs on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cancers. Coupling with polyethylene glycol (PEG) increases plasma time and reduces antigenicity. RIPs conjugated with antibodies to form immunotoxins increase the selective toxicity to target cells. The prospects for future development on the engineering of RIPs for improving their pharmacological properties are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Qi Lu
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong 99077, China; (J.-Q.L.); (Z.-N.Z.)
| | - Zhen-Ning Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong 99077, China; (J.-Q.L.); (Z.-N.Z.)
| | - Yong-Tang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, National Kunming High level Biosafety Research Center for Non-human Primates, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China;
| | - Pang-Chui Shaw
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong 99077, China; (J.-Q.L.); (Z.-N.Z.)
- Correspondence:
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9
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Wang S, Li Z, Yang G, Ho CT, Li S. Momordica charantia: a popular health-promoting vegetable with multifunctionality. Food Funct 2017; 8:1749-1762. [PMID: 28474032 DOI: 10.1039/c6fo01812b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Products derived from edible medicinal plants have been used for centuries to prevent, treat, and even cure multiple diseases. Momordica charantia L., widely cultivated around the world, is a typical one bred for vegetables and medicinal usage. All parts of M. charantia possess important medicinal properties, including antidiabetic, anticancer, hypotensive, anti-obesity, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory, anthelmintic, neuro-protective, as well as hepato-protective properties both in vitro and in vivo. This review summarizes the active components and medicinal properties of M. charantia, especially the activities and mechanisms of its anti-diabetic and anti-cancer properties. The anti-diabetic properties involve inhibiting intestinal α-glucosidase and glucose transport, protecting islet β-cells, enhancing insulin secretion, increasing hepatic glucose disposal, decreasing gluconeogenesis, and even ameliorating insulin resistance. Moreover, the expressions of PPARs could also be activated and up-regulated. Meanwhile, its anticancer properties are mostly due to apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and expression of serum factors associated with immunity. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of M. charantia and its benefits for development as a functional food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhen Wang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, College of Life Science, Huanggang Normal University, Hubei Province, China.
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10
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Ajji PK, Binder MJ, Walder K, Puri M. Balsamin induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells via DNA fragmentation and cell cycle arrest. Mol Cell Biochem 2017; 432:189-198. [PMID: 28378131 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-017-3009-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer causing death worldwide with metastasis and disease relapse being the major drawbacks in current treatments. Therefore, development of novel drugs is needed. Balsamin, a 28 kDa Type I ribosome-inactivating protein, is rich in the seeds of Momordica balsamina. In this study, the molecular mechanism and the possible effects of balsamin on the two key hallmarks of cancer were investigated. Firstly, the induction of apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 and BT549 cells showed that balsamin-induced apoptosis involved increases in caspase-3 and caspase-8 activity, upregulation of Bax, Bid, and Bad, and downregulation of BCL-2 and BCL-XL. Furthermore, balsamin inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of 24.53 and 32.79 µg/ml for MCF-7 and BT549 cells, respectively. Moreover, flow cytometric analysis revealed that balsamin induced S-/G-phase cell cycle arrest. Our studies show that balsamin has anti-tumor activity and could be used as a neutraceutical for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parminder K Ajji
- Bioprocessing Laboratory, Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, 75 Pigdons Road, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Marley J Binder
- School of Medicine, Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, 75 Pigdons Road, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Ken Walder
- School of Medicine, Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, 75 Pigdons Road, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Munish Puri
- Bioprocessing Laboratory, Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, 75 Pigdons Road, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia. .,Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
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11
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Tan MJ, Cao XW, Li PF, Zhai YZ, Zhou Y, Liu YJ, Zhao J, Wang FJ. Effectively enhancing cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of alpha-momorcharin by integrating a heparin-binding peptide. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2017; 64:918-926. [PMID: 28090686 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Alpha-momorcharin (α-MMC), a type I ribosome-inactivating protein, has attracted a great deal of attention because of its antitumor activity. However, the cytotoxicity of α-MMC is limited due to insufficient cellular internalization in cancer cells. To enhance the cytotoxicity of α-MMC, a heparin-binding domain derived from heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (named heparin-binding peptide [HBP]) was used as a cell-penetrating peptide and fused to the C-terminus of α-MMC. This novel α-MMC-HBP fusion protein was expressed and purified with a Ni2+ -resin. The N-glycosidase activity and DNase activity assay indicated that the introduction of HBP did not interfere with the intrinsic bioactivities of α-MMC. HBP was able to efficiently carry α-MMC into the tested cancer cells and significantly enhance the cytotoxic effects of α-MMC in a dose-dependent manner. This enhanced cytotoxic ability occurred due to the higher level of cell apoptosis induced by α-MMC-HBP, which was demonstrated in western blot analysis in which α-MMC-HBP triggered caspase 8, caspase 9, casapase 3, and PARP more intensely than α-MMC alone. α-MMC-HBP led to an upregulation of cleaved PARP and an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Our study provided a new practical way to greatly improve the antitumor activity of α-MMC, which could significantly expand the pharmaceutical applications of α-MMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jie Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Wei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng-Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Zhou Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Jun Wang
- Zhejiang Reachall Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Making Use of Genomic Information to Explore the Biotechnological Potential of Medicinal Mushrooms. MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS OF THE WORLD 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-5978-0_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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