Ricin
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Contents |
Introduction
- Highly toxic lectin & hemagglutinin. Occurs naturally in seeds (castor beans) & leaves of the castor oil plant, Ricinus commununis. Ricin was originally used in reference to a mixed extract. Toxicity appears to be largely due to proteins other than a hemagluttinin. Two ricin toxins & 2 hemagglutinins have been identified. All 4 contain 2 different polypeptide subunits linked by a disulfide bond. The toxins are dimers of a 30 kD A-chain & a 33 kD B-chain. Ricin has antineoplastic properties. I shows synergism with daunorubicin, cisplatin & vincristine in treatment of leukemias. Isoelectric point: 7.1 UVmax: 280 nm (e = 8500)
More General Terms
- toxin (hazardous material)
- lectin
- plant protein
- multisubunit protein
- hemagglutinin
- antineoplastic agent (chemotherapeutic agent)
Internet Database
Prosite: [1]
References
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary 27th ed, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1999
- Merck Index, I2th ed, Merck & Co, Rahway NJ, 1996 # 8376
- PROSITE [2]
