Viscum plants,the evergreen perennial parasitic shrubs or subshrubs,are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. There are about 70 Viscum species around the world,including 11 species and one variety in China. Mistletoe lectins are typeⅡ ribosome-inactivating proteins( RIPs) extracted from Viscum plants with anticancer and immunoregulatory activities. Many studies have focused on the mistletoe lectins isolated from V. album in Europe and V. album var. coloratum distributed in South Korea,respectively,and several preparations,such as Iscucin Ⓡ,were developed and clinically applied for cancer treatment. Although Viscum plants are widely distributed in China,only a few studies of mistletoe lectins have been reported. The recent progress of mistletoe lectins was reviewed from extraction,purification,quantitative/qualitative detection,molecular structure,pharmacological activities,toxicities,and clinical application,aiming at providing a reference for in-depth research and utilization of mistletoe lectins produced in China.
Humans ; Lectins ; Plant Extracts ; Plant Lectins ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Toxins, Biological ; Viscum

Humans ; East Asian People ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Lectins/genetics*

Objective To identify immune-related molecular markers in an attempt to predict prognosis of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Methods Immune related genes (IREGs) was analyzed based on the TCGA database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Cox regression analysis were used to establish risk models. According to the median risk score, COAD patients were divided into high risk and low risk groups. The prognostic difference were compared between the two groups. The function of the model was validated using GEO. Results A total of 1015 IREGs was obtained. The established model consisted of three genes: RAR related orphan receptor C (RORC), leucine-rich repeat Fli-I-interacting protein 2 (LRRFIP2) and lectin galactoside-binding soluble galectin 4 (LGALS4). The high-risk group had significantly poorer prognosis than low-risk group in the GEO database, and it was validated using a GEO database. Further analysis via univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that risk model could function as independent prognostic factor for COAD patients. Conclusion The risk model based on IREGs can predict the prognosis of patients with COAD.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Adenocarcinoma/genetics* ; Colonic Neoplasms/genetics* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Lectins

Banana (Musa spp) is one of the most important fruit crops in the world. Banana fruit is an ideal organ for producing foreign pharmaceutical proteins and chemicals by genetic engineering. A perfect promoter driving foreign gene to express strongly and specifically in banana fruit is necessary for that. In order to isolate a banana fruit-specific expressed promoter, a fragment of 702 nt nucleotide sequence upstream 5' of banana lectin (BanLec) gene, which was demonstrated to express specifically in banana fruit previously, was isolated by using chromosomal walking in this study. Bioinformatical analysis of this sequence shows that the sequence contains some typical elements of a promoter. To identify the fruit-specific expression of this promoter, a construct was derived from pBI121, which originally CaMV 35S promoter was replaced by the 702 nt nucleotide sequence, and named as pBIL2. Transformations of pBIL2 to roots, leaves and fruit pieces of banana were carried out by using particle bombardment. The transient expression of gus showed that the gus expressed specifically in banana fruit with a little higher level compared with CaMV 35S. It is the first report that BanLec promoter is a potential fruit-specific expressed promoter which can further be used in transgenes into banana.
Cloning, Molecular ; Computational Biology ; Musa ; genetics ; Plant Lectins ; genetics ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Combined deficiency of factor V and VIII (F5F8D) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations of either lman1 or mcfd2. To identify mutations of these two genes in a Chinese F5F8D family, the samples of peripheral blood were collected from the proband and her parents. Coagulation tests were carried out, including activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (Fg) and coagulate activity of FV, FVIII (FV:C, FVIII:C). The genomic DNA was extracted, then all the exons and intron/exon boundaries of these two genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The products were finally analyzed by direct sequencing. The results showed that the proband's APTT, PT, TT, Fg, FV:C and FVIII:C were 82.2 sec, 19.6 sec, 18.6 sec, 2.9 g/L, 7.1% and 18.7% respectively, while those parameters of the parents were all within the normal range. Two pathogenic mutations were identified in lman1 gene of the proband: one was the heterozygous c.912_913insA in exon 8 resulting in a frameshift of p.Glu305fsX20; the other was the heterozygous c.1366C > T in exon 11 resulting in p.Arg456X. The proband's father and mother were heterozygous for c.1366C > T and c.912_913insA respectively. It is concluded that F5F8D of the proband is caused by a novel compound heterozygous mutation of the lman1 gene, which has never been reported.
Child ; Exons ; Factor V ; genetics ; Factor V Deficiency ; etiology ; genetics ; Factor VIII ; genetics ; Female ; Hemophilia A ; etiology ; genetics ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Mannose-Binding Lectins ; genetics ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Pedigree

The complement system is a key component of innate immunity. More than 45 genes encoding the proteins of complement components or their isotypes and subunits, receptors, and regulators have been discovered. These genes are distributed throughout different chromosomes, with 19 genes comprising three significant complement gene clusters in the human genome. Genetic deficiency of any early component of the classical pathway (C1q, C1r/s, C2, C4, and C3) is associated with autoimmune diseases due to the failure of clearance of immune complexes (IC) and apoptotic materials, and the impairment of normal humoral response. Deficiencies of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) and the early components of the alternative (factor D, properdin) and terminal pathways (from C3 onward components: C5, C6, C7, C8, C9) increase susceptibility to infections and their recurrence. While the association of MBL deficiency with a number of autoimmune and infectious disorders has been well established, the effects of the deficiency of other lectin pathway components (ficolins, MASPs) have been less extensively investigated due to our incomplete knowledge of the genetic background of such deficiencies and the functional activity of those components. For complement regulators and receptors, the consequences of their genetic deficiency vary depending on their specific involvement in the regulatory or signalling steps within the complement cascade and beyond. This article reviews current knowledge and concepts about the genetic load of complement component deficiencies and their association with diseases. An integrative presentation of genetic data with the latest updates provides a background to further investigations of the disease association investigations of the complement system from the perspective of systems biology and systems genetics.
Animals ; Complement Activation ; genetics ; Complement System Proteins ; deficiency ; genetics ; HLA Antigens ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; genetics ; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes ; genetics ; Lectins ; metabolism ; Multigene Family ; Receptors, Complement ; genetics

Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins/genetics* ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Sialic Acid Binding Immunoglobulin-like Lectins

OBJECTIVETo investigate anti-attachment effect of ethyl acetate extract of Huanglian Jiedu decoction (EAHD) on Candida glabrata.

METHODSerial 2-fold dilution assay was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations MICs of EAHD to C. glabrata. XTT assay was used to evaluate the effect of EAHD against adhesion of C. glabrata. Inverted microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining were applied to observe the morphological changes of C. glabrata in adhesion. PCR was adopted to inspect the expression of attachment-related genes such as EPA1, EPA6 and EPA7.

RESULTThe MIC of EAHD and fluconazole to C. glabrata were 320 mg · L(-1) and 1 mg · L(-1) respectively. The total cells including budding cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner following EAHD treatment. The expressions of EPA1, EPA6 and EPA7 were downregulated dramatically after EAHD treatment.

CONCLUSIONEAHD could effectively inhibit adherence of C. glabrata.

Acetates ; Candida glabrata ; drug effects ; physiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fungal Proteins ; genetics ; Lectins ; genetics ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology

Ex vivo maintainance of human stem cells is crucial for many clinical applications. Current culture conditions provide some level support but cytokines induce most quiescent stem cells to proliferate and differentiate. Better control of primitive cells is needed to extend the time and range of manipulation of such cells. A recently identified plant lectin Flt3 receptor-interacting lectin (FRIL) present may a special ability to preserve primitive CB progenitors for extended periods in culture without exogenous cytokines. But the mechanisms of FRIL preserving quiescent primitive cells are still unknown. Recently a novel protein HTm4 and its alternatively spliced variant HTm4S, which serve as hematopoietic cell cycle regulators, have been identified. In this report we studied the effect of FRIL on the in vitro maintenance of quiescent human cord blood stem cells and the expression of the novel hematopoietic cell cycle regulator HTm4 and HTm4S in progenitor cells cultured in FRIL. We analyzed the proliferation and the HPP-CFC proportion of CD34(+) cells treated with FRIL. The human HTm4 and HTm4S mRNA expression was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and the cell cycle status of CB CD34(+) cells was analyzed by FACS. The results showed that incubation of CD34(+) cells in FRIL resulted in a low proliferation of progenitor cells and fewer cycling cells, but FRIL selectively maintained a higher number of primitive cells with proliferative potential in suspension culture. CB CD34(+) cells cultured in FRIL showed significant diversity in the expression of HTm4 and HTm4S during 0~14 d. On d 0, HTm4 was detected at high level, downregulated on d 1, but upregulated during d 3 to d 14, and reaching the highest level on d 7. But the expression levels of HTm4S changed little in the cells cultured in FRIL except the obviously increased expression on d 7. Exogenous expression showed that HTm4 was localized around the karyon while HTm4S scatted in the cytoplasm, respectively, which may be responsible for their difference in function. Thus, FRIL can preserve quiescent primitive CD34(+), and FRIL's ability to preserve quiescent primitive cells in a reversible manner may significantly expand the time and range of ex vivo manipulations of human stem cells for clinical applications. In other words, HTm4 and HTm4S may play a crucial role in the cell cycle modulation of CD34(+) progenitor cells maintained with FRIL in vitro.
Antigens, CD20 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Mannose-Binding Lectins ; pharmacology ; Membrane Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Plant Lectins ; pharmacology

Using total DNA isolated from Amaranthus caudatus as the template, a DNA fragment of about 700bp upstream of the coding sequence of Amaranthus caudatus agglutinin (ACA) gene was amplified by TAIL-PCR and cloned. To examine the regulatory function of this DNA fragment, it was inserted into a plant expression vector containing GUS gene to substitute the CaMV 35S promoter and the resulted recombinant plasmid was designated as pBpAG. The expression vector pBpAG was transferred to different tissues of plants, via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in vacuum condition. Transient expression of GUS in the transformed tissues was detected by histochemical GUS staining and the results showed that the GUS activity was expressed specifically in seeds. These preliminary results indicate that this DNA fragment upstream of the ACA coding sequence could very possibly be a promoter with seed specificity. Some putative cis-elements within the promoter were discussed.
Amaranthus ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plant Lectins ; genetics ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Rhizobium ; genetics ; metabolism