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Biotechnological Potential of Ribosome Inactivating Proteins (RIPs)

Plant Toxins

Part of the book series: Toxinology ((TOXI))

  • 456 Accesses

Abstract

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are enzymes (E.C. 3.2.2.22) that have shown remarkable cytotoxic activity linked to their ability to inactivate protein synthesis through their N-glycosidase activity on the 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). They are classified as monomeric type 1 RIP and eterodimeric type 2 RIP and are widely distributed in plants, fungi, and bacteria. Many evidences suggest that they could be involved in the defense of the host against predators and viruses, without neglecting their involvement in stress response and/or nitrogen store. The studies on RIPs began at the end of the nineteenth century when ricin, a potent toxin from Ricinus communis, was identified and isolated. Since then numerous RIPs were investigated, and it has been found that their cytotoxicity is due not only to enzymatic activity but also to their intracellular routing. Their biological activity has suggested their use as potential anticancer drugs. To make selective their cytotoxicity against cancer cells, many molecular approaches have been carried out. RIPs have been linked to, or fused with, appropriate antibodies or other carriers to form “immunotoxins” or other conjugates specifically toxic to target cells of the carrier. Other strategies have been also successfully carried out using nontoxic RIPs (e.g., ebulin I and nigrin b from Sambucus species) to allow them, by using a different intracellular pathway with respect to the canonical one, to efficiently reach ribosomes. This chapter summarizes the procedures used to obtain RIPs as selective bifunctional molecules. Many generations of immune RIPs and RIP conjugates are described.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Second University of Naples, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy

    Antimo DiMaro

  2. Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cintia, I-80126, Naples, Italy

    Elio Pizzo

  3. Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valladolid, E-47005, Valladolid, Spain

    Tomas Girbes

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  1. Antimo DiMaro
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  2. Elio Pizzo
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  3. Tomas Girbes
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Correspondence to Tomas Girbes .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    P. Gopalakrishnakone

  2. Brain Institute – InsCer Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Su Centro de Biotecnologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Célia R. Carlini

  3. Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Su, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun

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DiMaro, A., Pizzo, E., Girbes, T. (2015). Biotechnological Potential of Ribosome Inactivating Proteins (RIPs). In: Gopalakrishnakone, P., Carlini, C., Ligabue-Braun, R. (eds) Plant Toxins. Toxinology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6728-7_14-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6728-7_14-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6728-7

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  1. Latest

    Biotechnological Potential of Ribosome Inactivating Proteins (RIPs)
    Published:
    06 October 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6728-7_14-2

  2. Original

    Biotechnological Potential of Ribosome Inactivating Proteins (RIPs)
    Published:
    11 August 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6728-7_14-1

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