ricin

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Introduction

Highly toxic lectin & hemagluttinin. 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 hemagluttinins 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.

Pharmacology

Laboratory

Isoelectric point: 7.1

UVmax: 280 nm (e = 8500)

More general terms

References

  1. Stedman's Medical Dictionary 27th ed, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1999
  2. Merck Index, I2th ed, Merck & Co, Rahway NJ, 1996 # 8376
  3. PROSITE :accession PS00275