Abstract
Moonlighting proteins harbor two, or more, unrelated functions. The majority are enzymes that also act in a nonenzymatic role, acting structurally or having special properties (such as crystallins). Toxicity is rarely considered a moonlighting property. However, ureases from plants, fungi, and bacteria are now considered examples of enzymes that moonlight as toxins. These toxins have a wide variety of targets and effects. The latter include cell secretion, pro-inflammatory effects, binding to glycoconjugates, entomotoxicity, fungitoxicity, and convulsion and death in model mammals. Originally described as an enzymatic side effect, the protective role of plant ureases against predators and pathogens has emerged as an independent, moonlighting property (or, more likely, properties). Despite being one of the most studied enzymes, urease catalysis-independent properties are only now being inspected. Studies with various model organisms revealed broad action of ureases as multi-target toxins. Many more plant proteins, besides ureases, are expected to have moonlighting, toxic properties, making almost obligatory the inclusion of actions such as toxicity, exerted outside the source organism synthesizing the protein (such as toxicity) in the array of recognized moonlighting functions.
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Ligabue-Braun, R., Carlini, C.R. (2015). Moonlighting Toxins: Ureases and Beyond. In: Gopalakrishnakone, P., Carlini, C., Ligabue-Braun, R. (eds) Plant Toxins. Toxinology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6728-7_10-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6728-7_10-1
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