Ribosome inactivating protein-like activity in seeds of diverse Cucurbitaceae plants

T. X. Dong*, T. B. Ng, Ricky N.S. Wong, H. W. Yeung, G. J. Xu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

1. 1. Seed extracts of 20 plants species belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae were examined for their ability to inhibit protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysate and induce mid-term abortion in mice. 2. 2. Eleven extracts were found to inhibit protein synthesis by about or over 90%, seven extracts produced about 80% inhibition, one caused about 70% inhibition and one brought about approx. 40% inhibition, when the extracts were tested at a final concentration of 10 μg per ml. 3. 3. All of the seed extracts possessed potent mid-term abortifacient activity. 4. 4. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the seed extracts disclosed the existence of a Coomassie Blue-stainable band with a mol. wt of ca 30,000 Da. This band probably accounts for the protein synthesis inhibiting and mid-term abortifacient activities. 5. 5. There was a similarity in the electrophoretograms of seed extracts of plants belonging to the same genus.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)415-419
Number of pages5
JournalInternational Journal of Biochemistry
Volume25
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 1993

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Biochemistry

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