ABSTRACT
Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) belong to a family of enzymes that attack eukaryotic ribosomes and potently inhibit cellular protein synthesis. RIPs possess several biomedical properties, including anti-viral and anti-tumor activities. Multiple RIPs are known to inhibit tumor cell proliferation through inducing apoptosis in a variety of cancers, such as breast cancer, leukemia/lymphoma, and hepatoma. This review focuses on the anti-tumor activities of RIPs and their apoptotic effects through three closely related pathways: mitochondrial, death receptor, and endoplasmic reticulum pathways.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Apoptosis , Ribosome Inactivating Proteins , Animals , Endoplasmic Reticulum , Humans , Mitochondria , Plant Proteins , Receptors, Death Domain , RibosomesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To clone and express Der f7 gene of Dermatophagoides farinae, and identify its immunogenicity. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from D. farinae mites. A reference sequence (Accession No. AY283292) was used to design specific primers. The Der f7 gene fragment was amplified by RT-PCR, and cloned into pET-32a vector. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3) and induced with IPTG for protein expression. The recombinant protein was purified by Ni2+ chelating affinity chromatography and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. RESULTS: The Der f7 gene fragment was about 650 bp, and shared 99% homology with the published one (Accession No. FJ436108). SDS-PAGE result showed its relative molecular weight (M(r)) of 23 000. The recombinant protein showed appropriate combination ability with IgE in sera of mite allergic patients. CONCLUSION: Der f 7 gene has been expressed in prokaryotic expression system and shows allergenicity.
