Identification of Ribosome-Inactivating Protein-Encoding Genes in the Poaceae Family

Abstract

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), which have been reported from many plants, are an RNA N-glycosidase that depurinates the glycosidic bond of 28S rRNA, thus damaging ribosomes and arresting protein synthesis. The plants produce these proteins to protect themselves from bacterial, viral and fungal infection. Recently, many studies aim to elucidate the three dimensional structures of RIPs and to study their biological activities including antiviral and anticancer properties. The study in relationship and distribution of RIPs in many plants implies that there is abundant distribution of the proteins in nature. Therefore, we can use the information to assess novel proteins. In this study, we have determined RIPs-encoding genes in sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum)and cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), which belong to the Poaceae family. We found that using Polymerase Chain Reaction technique and DNA sequencing analysis, the RIPs-coding genes were identified in sugar cane and cogon grass and their sequences were homologous to those of rice (Oryza sativa), barley (Hordeum vulgare)and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Our results suggested that the plants possibly consist of several novel proteins that can be potentially developed as therapeutic agents.