Small,novel proteins from the mistletoe <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoradendron tomentosum</Emphasis> exhibit highly selective cytotoxicity to human breast cancer cells

Four novel proteins (phoratoxins C–F) have been isolated from the North American mistletoe Phoradendron tomentosum. The amino acid sequences of these phoratoxins were determined unambiguously using a combination of Edman degradation and trypsin enzymatic digestion, and by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry sequencing. Phoratoxins C, E and F consist of 46 amino acid residues; and phoratoxin D of 41. All proteins had six cysteines, similar to the earlier described phoratoxins A and B, which are thionins. The cytotoxicity of each protein was evaluated in a human cell line panel that represented several cytotoxic drug-resistance mechanisms. For the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀ values) of the different cell lines in the panel, correlation with those of standard drugs was low. The most potent cytotoxic phoratoxin C was further tested on primary cultures of human tumor cells from patients. The solid tumor samples from breast cancer cells were 18 times more sensitive to phoratoxin C than the tested hematological tumor samples. Received 30 September 2002; received after revision 28 October 2002; accepted 7 November 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author.     

Plant thionins – the structural perspective

Thionins belong to a rapidly growing family of biologically active peptides in the plant kingdom. Thionins are small (∼5 kDA), cysteine-rich peptides with toxic and antimicrobial properties. They show a broad cellular toxicity against wide range of organisms and eukaryotic cell lines; while possessing some selectivity. Thionins are believed to be involved in protection against plant pathogens, including bacteria and fungi, by working directly at the membrane. The direct mechanism of action is still surrounded by controversy. Here the results of structural studies are reviewed and confronted with recent results of biophysical studies aimed at defining the function of thionins. The proposed toxicity mechanisms are reviewed and the attempt to reconcile competing hypotheses with a wealth of structural and functional studies is made. Received 3 December 2005; received after revision 6 February 2006; accepted 18 March 2006     

植物抗菌肽研究进展

植物抗菌肽是一类对细菌,真菌等微生物有抑制或杀灭作用的小分子多肽,它能被细菌,真菌或物理的,化学的刺激所诱导,有些抗菌肽甚至在植物体内能组成性的表达,从化学结构来看,植物抗菌肽要包括硫堇,植物防卫素,脂转移蛋白和橡胶素类等,它们抗菌能力强,有较好的耐热性,抗菌机理独特,在农业,医药及食品等领域有着广泛的应用前景。作者总结了国内外植物抗菌肽研究进展,对其应用研究的基因工程等方面作了阐述,并对进一步研