Ricin communis agglutinin

As an additional source of complexity, the ricin gene is part of a multigene family within the castor bean plant that encodes for the production of pro-ricin (the natural ricin precursor), several apparently inactive polypeptides, and a well-studied, structurally related lectin called R. communis agglutinin I (RCA120) (Tregear and Roberts, 1992 Pinkerton et al., 1999 Helmy and Pieroni, 2000). 

Chen, G.Q., He, X. and McKeon, T.A. (2005) A simple and sensitive assay for distinguishing the expression of ricin and Ricinus communis agglutinin genes in developing castor seed R. communis L.). J Agric Food Chem, 53, 2358-2361. 

Hegde, R. and Fodder, S.K. (1998) Evolution of tetrameric lectin Ricinus communis agglutinin from two variant groups of ricin toxin dimers. Eur J Biochem, 254, 596-601. 

Pinkerton, S.D., Rolfe, R., Auld, D.L., Ghetie, V. and Lauterbach, B.F. (1999) Selection of castor for divergent concentrations of ricin and Ricinus communis agglutinin. Crop Sci, 39, 353-357. 

Butterworth AG and Lord JM (1983). Ricin and Rici-nus communis agglutinin subunits are all derived from a single-size polypeptide precursor. Eur J Biochem, 137, 57-65. 

Lord JM (1985a). Precursors of ricin and Ricinus communis agglutinin. Glycosylation and processing during synthesis and intracellular transport. Eur J Biochem, 146, 411 116. 

Roberts, L.M., Lamb, F.I., Pappin, D.J., Lord, J.M., 1985. The primary sequence of Ricinus communis agglutinin. Comparison with ricin. J. Biol. Chem. 260, 15682-15686. 

Ricin (toxin from Castor bean Ricinus communis) [A chain 96638-28-7 B chain 96638-29-8] Mr -60,000, amorphous. Crude ricin, obtained by aqueous extraction and (NH4)2S04 pptn, was chromatographed on a galactosyl-Sepharose column with sequential elution of pure ricin. The second peak was due to ricin agglutinin. [Simmons and Russell Anal Biochem 146 206 1985.) Inhibitor of protein synthesis. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, USE EXTREME CARE [instructions accompany product]. 

---