Stirpe F, Battelli M G
Dipartimento di Patologia sperimentale, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Via S. Giacomo 14, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2006 Aug;63(16):1850-66. doi: 10.1007/s00018-006-6078-7.
Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), mostly from plants, are enzymes which depurinate rRNA, thus inhibiting protein synthesis. They also depurinate other polynucleotide substrates. The biological activity of RIPs is not completely clarified, and sometimes independent of the inhibition of protein synthesis. There are differences in the cytotoxicity of RIPs and, consequently, in their toxicity to animals. Some RIPs are potent toxins, the best known being ricin, a potential biological weapon. New toxins have recently been identified. RIPs cause apoptotic and necrotic lesions, and induce production of cytokines causing inflammation. RIPs are potentially useful in agriculture and medicine because (i) they have antiviral activity and (ii) they are used for the preparation of conjugates with antibodies ('immunotoxins') or other carriers, rendering them specifically toxic to the cell target of the carrier, which may be helpful in therapy. The distribution, mechanism of action and role in nature of RIPs are not completely understood, and we can expect several future developments in their practical application.
核糖体失活蛋白（RIPs）大多来自植物，是一类能使核糖体RNA脱嘌呤从而抑制蛋白质合成的酶。它们也能使其他多核苷酸底物脱嘌呤。RIPs的生物学活性尚未完全阐明，有时与蛋白质合成的抑制无关。RIPs的细胞毒性存在差异，因此它们对动物的毒性也有所不同。一些RIPs是强效毒素，最著名的是蓖麻毒素，它是一种潜在的生物武器。最近还发现了新的毒素。RIPs会导致凋亡和坏死性病变，并诱导引起炎症的细胞因子产生。RIPs在农业和医学领域具有潜在用途，原因如下：（i）它们具有抗病毒活性；（ii）它们可用于制备与抗体（“免疫毒素”）或其他载体的偶联物，使其对载体的细胞靶标具有特异性毒性，这可能有助于治疗。RIPs的分布、作用机制及其在自然界中的作用尚未完全了解，我们预计它们在实际应用方面未来会有多项进展。
