The main results of the research performed in the last 30 years on ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are reviewed, with emphasis on the new, controversial and uncertain aspects. The nature, distribution, mechanism of action and properties of these proteins are briefly reported, together with their possible applications. A pattern appears of a still largely unexplored subject, whose role in ...

The ribosome is subjected to post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, that affect its biological activity. Among ribosomal elements, the P-proteins undergo phosphorylation within C terminus, element which interacts with trGTPases or ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs); however, role of has never been elucidated. Here, we probed function on interaction RIPs using P1-P2 dime...

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) were first isolated over a century ago and have been shown to be catalytic toxins that irreversibly inactivate protein synthesis. Elucidation of atomic structures and molecular mechanism has revealed these proteins to be a diverse group subdivided into two classes. RIPs have been shown to exhibit RNA N-glycosidase activity and depurinate the 28S rRNA of the...

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are toxins that act as N-glycosidases (EC 3.2.2.22). They are mainly produced by plants and classified as type 1 RIPs and type 2 RIPs. There are also RIPs and RIP related proteins that cannot be grouped into the classical type 1 and type 2 RIPs because of their different sizes, structures or functions. In addition, there is still not a uniform nomenclature ...

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are widespread among higher plants of different taxonomic orders. In this study, we report on the RIP sequences found in the genome/transcriptome of several important Rosaceae species, including many economically important edible fruits such as apple, pear, peach, apricot, and strawberry. All RIP domains from Rosaceae share high sequence similarity with con...

Maize ribosome-inactivating protein is classified as a class III or an atypical RNA N-glycosidase. It is synthesized as an inactive precursor with a 25-amino acid internal inactivation region, which is removed in the active form. As the first structural example of this class of proteins, crystals of the precursor and the active form were diffracted to 2.4 and 2.5 A, respectively. The two protei...