Elsevier

Toxicon

Volume 55, Issues 2–3, February–March 2010, Pages 658-661
Toxicon

Short communication
Characterization of ricin toxin family members from Ricinus communis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.09.002Get rights and content

Abstract

Ricin inhibits translation by removal of a specific adenine from 28S RNA. The Ricinus communis genome encodes seven full-length ricin family members. All encoded proteins have the ability of hydrolyzing adenine in 28S rRNA. As expected, these proteins also inhibited an in vitro transcription/translation system. These data show that the ricin gene family contains at least seven members that have the ability to inhibit translation and that may contribute to the toxicity of R. communis.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded through a subcontract from General Dynamics to Georgetown University from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The following reagents were obtained through the NIH Biodefense and Emerging Infections Research Resources Repository, NIAID, NIH: Ricin Toxin A Subunit with N-terminal Histidine Tag, Recombinant from Escherichia coli, NR-853; Monoclonal Anti-Ricin Toxin A-Chain (produced in vitro), NR-843.

References (10)

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