A novel sialic acid-specific lectin from Phaseolus coccineus seeds with potent antineoplastic and antifungal activities

Jing Chen; Bo Liu; Na Ji; Jing Zhou; He-jiao Bian; Chun-yang Li; Fang Chen; Jin-ku Bao

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2008.07.003

A novel sialic acid-specific lectin from Phaseolus coccineus seeds with potent antineoplastic and antifungal activities

Phytomedicine. 2009 Apr;16(4):352-60. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.07.003. Epub 2008 Aug 30.

Authors

Jing Chen¹, Bo Liu, Na Ji, Jing Zhou, He-jiao Bian, Chun-yang Li, Fang Chen, Jin-ku Bao

Affiliation

¹ College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.

PMID: 18757189
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.07.003

Abstract

A novel lectin (PCL) with specificity towards sialic acid was purified from Phaseolus coccineus L. (P. multiflorus willd) seeds using ion exchange chromatography on CM and DEAE-Sepharose, and gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 column. PCL was a homodimer consisting of 29,831.265 Da subunits as determined by gel filtration and MS. Also, PCL was a non-metalloprotein and its N-terminal 23-amino acid sequence, ATETSFSFQRLNLANLVLNKESS, was determined. Subsequently, MTT method, cell morphological analysis and LDH activity-based cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that PCL was highly cytotoxic to L929 cells and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Using caspase inhibitors, a typical caspase-dependent pathway was confirmed. PCL also showed remarkable antifungal activity towards some plant pathogenic fungi. Furthermore, when sialic acid-specific activity was fully inhibited, cytotoxicity and antifungal activity were abruptly decreased, respectively, suggesting a significant correlation between sialic acid-specific site and its bi-functional bioactivities.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Antifungal Agents / chemistry
Antifungal Agents / isolation & purification
Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / therapeutic use
Apoptosis / drug effects
Caspase Inhibitors
Cell Line, Tumor
Erythrocytes / drug effects
Fungi / drug effects*
Hemagglutination / drug effects
Humans
Lectins / chemistry
Lectins / pharmacology*
Lectins / therapeutic use
Mass Spectrometry
Molecular Sequence Data
N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / pharmacology*
Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Phaseolus*
Phytotherapy
Plant Extracts / chemistry
Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
Plant Extracts / pharmacology
Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
Plant Lectins / chemistry
Plant Lectins / isolation & purification
Plant Lectins / pharmacology*
Plant Lectins / therapeutic use
Rabbits
Seeds

Substances

Antifungal Agents
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
Caspase Inhibitors
Lectins
Plant Extracts
Plant Lectins
N-Acetylneuraminic Acid