Characterization and pharmacological properties of a novel multifunctional Kunitz inhibitor from Erythrina velutina seeds. (41/60)

 (+info)

Inhibitory effect of erythraline on Toll-like receptor signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells. (42/60)

Erythraline, isolated from the bark of Erythrina crista-galli which are used as Brazilian medicine plant for the treatment of inflammation diseases, suppressed nitric oxide (NO) production and induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Because of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and its signal transduction are indispensable to the production of NO and iNOS expression by LPS, we investigated the effects of erythraline on TLR signaling molecules. Western blot analysis revealed that the degradation of inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB (IkappaB) by LPS was suppressed by erythraline. Moreover, erythraline inhibited not only LPS-induced phosphorylation of IkappaB kinase (Ikk) but also phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). However, it showed no effect on LPS -induced phosphorylation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-activated kinase (TAK) 1 that exists upstream of Ikk and MAPKs, and is required for the activation of these signaling molecules on TLR signaling pathway. These results suggested that erythraline might have inhibited the kinase activity of TAK1. Furthermore, these results were supported from the inhibitory pattern of erythraline on TLR signaling molecules when the cells were stimulated by TLR2 ligand, peptidoglycan which activates the same pathway as LPS on TLR signal transduction.  (+info)

The amino acid sequence of Erythrina corallodendron lectin and its homology with other legume lectins. (43/60)

The primary sequence of Erythrina corallodendron lectin was deduced from analysis of the peptides derived from the lectin by digestion with trypsin, chymotrypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, elastase and lysylendopeptidase-C, and of fragments generated by cleavage of the lectin with dilute formic acid in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. Purification of the individual peptides was achieved by gel filtration, followed by reverse phase HPLC. The glycosylation site (Asn17-Leu18-Thr19) was deduced from analysis of the glycopeptide isolated from a pronase digest of the lectin before and after deglycosylation of the glycopeptide with endoglycosidase F. Comparison of the sequence of 244 residues thus obtained with those of 9 other legume lectins revealed extensive homologies, including 39 invariant positions and 60 partial identities. These data provide further evidence for the conservation of the lectin gene in leguminous plants.  (+info)

Binding of [1-13C]galactose-enriched hen ovalbumin to Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin as studied by 13C-NMR spectroscopy. (44/60)

A study of the equilibrium binding of glycoproteins to lectins was undertaken using the titled compounds as a model system for such interactions. The binding of hen ovalbumin, enriched in galactose specifically 13C-labelled at C1, to Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin was studied by 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The lectin was shown to be bivalent for ovalbumin with an apparent estimated association constant, at infinite dilution, of about 10(4) M-1. The observed association is similar to that found for the corresponding disaccharide, Gal(beta 1-4)GlcNAc. The results strongly suggest that only the N-acetyllactosamine moiety in the carbohydrate side chain of galactose-enriched ovalbumin participates in the binding to the lectin with little, if any, interactions from other parts of either the side chain or the polypeptide backbone of ovalbumin.  (+info)

Binding of N-dansylgalactosamine to the lectin from Erythrina cristagalli as followed by stopped-flow and pressure-jump relaxation kinetics. (45/60)

The binding kinetics of N-dansylgalactosamine to the lectin from Erythrina cristagalli have been studied using stopped-flow and pressure-jump chemical relaxation by monitoring ligand fluorescence. Both methods gave results which are consistent with a simple bimolecular association reaction. The association rate constant, k + 1 = 4.8 X 10(4) M-1 s-1, is far too low to be controlled by diffusion; the dissociation rate is 0.4-0.66 s-1, depending upon the method of determination and the experimental conditions. Identical reaction-rate parameters were obtained at pH 7.3, where soluble aggregates can be present in the lectin solution and at pH 4.7 where such aggregates are absent. The slow rates of carbohydrate binding seem to be characteristic for most lectins and lend support to the idea that they are evolutionary related and have structurally similar binding sites. Analysis of the relaxation amplitudes of the pressure-jump experiments yielded a molar reaction volume change, delta V0, upon binding of +7 ml/mol. This volume change can be caused by desolvation of the ligand upon binding.  (+info)

Identification, isolation and some properties of lectin from the seeds of Indian coral tree [Erythrina variegata (Linn.) var. orientalis (Linn.) Merrill]. (46/60)

A D-galactose-binding lectin agglutinating human erythrocytes has been purified from the seeds of the Indian coral tree (Erythrina variegata (Linn.) var. orientalis (Linn.) Merrill] by affinity chromatography on acid-treated Sepharose-6B gel. It has a higher reactivity for O-group erythrocytes. The lectin is a glycoprotein having a leucoagglutinating property.  (+info)

A procedure for the automatic determination of hydrophobic cores in protein structures. (47/60)

An algorithm is described for automatically detecting hydrophobic cores in proteins of known structure. Three pieces of information are considered in order to achieve this goal. These are: secondary structure, side-chain accessibility, and side-chain-side-chain contacts. Residues are considered to contribute to a core when they occur in regular secondary structure and have buried side chains that form predominantly nonpolar contacts with one another. This paper describes the algorithm's application to families of proteins with conserved topologies but low sequence similarities. The aim of this investigation is to determine the efficacy of the algorithm as well as to study the extent to which similar cores are identified within a common topology.  (+info)

On a Bowman-Birk family proteinase inhibitor from Erythrina variegata seeds. (48/60)

A Bowman-Birk family proteinase inhibitor (EBI) was isolated from the seeds of Erythrina variegata. The protein was purified by ion-exchange column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. The stoichiometry with trypsin was estimated to be 1:1, while that with chymotrypsin was not obvious, as determined from the titration patterns of its inhibitory activities. The complete amino acid sequence of EBI was determined by sequencing tryptic and chymotryptic peptides. The EBI protein consists of 61 amino acid residues, which is the shortest among the Bowman-Birk family inhibitors sequenced to date, and has a M(r) of 6,689. Comparison of this sequence with those of other leguminous Bowman-Birk family inhibitors revealed that EBI could be classified as a group II inhibitor, showing the best homology (67%) to the Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor from soybeans.  (+info)