ricin
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Introduction
- highly toxic lectin & hemagluttinin.
- ricin was originally used in reference to a mixed extract
Epidemiology
- occurs naturally in seeds (castor beans) & leaves of the castor oil plant, Ricinus commununis.
Structure
- 2 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.
Pathology
- toxicity appears to be largely due to proteins other than a hemagluttinin
Pharmacology
- ricin has antineoplastic properties
- it shows synergism with daunorubicin, cisplatin & vincristine in treatment of leukemias.
Laboratory
Isoelectric point: 7.1
UVmax: 280 nm (e = 8500)
More general terms
- toxin (hazardous material, poison)
- lectin
- plant protein
- multisubunit protein
- hemagglutinin
- antineoplastic agent (chemotherapeutic agent)