Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Crystalline ricin D, a toxic anti-tumor lectin from seeds of Ricinus communis

Journal Article · · J. Biol. Chem.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6893965

A toxic lectin, ricin D, present in the seeds of Ricinus communis has been purified and crystallized in a form suitable for high resolution crystallographic structure studies. This protein is different from a previously found form of ricin (also present in the same seeds), the only ricin for which a preliminary x-ray investigation has been reported so far. Ricin D crystallizes from an aqueous solution in an orthorhombic unit cell of symmetry P2/sub 1/2/sub 1/2/sub 1/ and a = 79.0, b = 114.7, and c = 72.8 A. The asymmetric unit contains one molecule with an average molecular weight of 62,400. The crystal is fairly stable to x-radiation and has a water content of approximately 54% by volume. It appears to comprise two closely related species of proteins, the major species corresponding to ricin D and the other presumably corresponding to a deamidation product of ricin D. The two species have nearly identical molecular size and amino acid compositions, but different charges.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
OSTI ID:
6893965
Journal Information:
J. Biol. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Biol. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 253:6; ISSN JBCHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English