| |
|
Product Name:
|
Abrin Toxoid (Formalin Fixed Abrin) from Abrus precatorius Seeds
|
|
Ownership statement:
|
This reagent is the tangible property of the U.S. Government.
|
|
Manufacturer:
|
Alison D. O’Brien, Ph.D., Chairperson, and James F. Sinclair, Ph.D., Laboratory Supervisor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
|
|
Additional Information:
|
Abrus precatorius is commonly known by a variety of names including: rosary pea, jequirity, Crab's eye, precatory pea or bean, John Crow Bead, Indian licorice, Akar Saga, gidee gidee or Jumbie bead. It is a vine, native to the Old World tropics, but now known to grow throughout the tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The plant is best known for its seeds, which are toxic due to the presence of abrin toxin.2 Abrin toxin is a member of the ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) family of toxins, which specifically and irreversibly inhibit protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells by enzymatically altering the 28S rRNA of the large 60S ribosomal subunit. Most RIPs are produced by plants and are thought to represent a defense mechanism against viral or parasitic attacks.3
Abrin is a type II RIP comprised of a catalytically active A subunit and a lectin-like B subunit. The A subunit harbors the RNA N-glycosidase activity and the B subunit is responsible for the binding and trafficking of the toxin in cells.4 The crystal structure of abrin has been determined (PDB: 1ABR). The overall protein fold is similar to ricin, but the secondary structure of the A subunit shows some differences. The B subunit displays the positions of several sugar residues linked to predicted glycosylation sites.5
|
|
Material Provided:
|
Each vial of NR-32831 contains approximately 0.1 mg of abrin toxoid in PBS. The concentration is shown on the Certificate of Analysis.
|
|
Packing/Storage:
|
NR-32831 was packaged aseptically in cryovials. The product is shipped frozen on blue ice and should be stored at -20°C or colder immediately upon arrival.
|
|
Safety Precautions:
|
Contaminated glassware or disposable containers should be soaked in 3% sodium hypochlorite or comparable solutions of other strong oxidizing agents for at least 24 hours.
|
|
Functional Activity:
|
NR-32831 is reactive with anti-ricin polyclonal antiserum, NR-862, on western blots. Abrin does share similarity with ricin and some cross reactivity is expected.6 NR-32831 is approximately 100,000 times less active than the active toxin in an in vitro cytotoxicity assay using Vero cells.
|
|
Disclaimers:
|
You are authorized to use this product for research use only. It is not intended for human use. Use of this product is subject to the terms and conditions of the BEI Resources Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). The MTA is available on our Web site at www.beiresources.org. While BEI Resources uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date information on this product sheet, neither ATCC® nor the U.S. Government makes any warranties or representations as to its accuracy. Citations from scientific literature and patents are provided for informational purposes only. Neither ATCC® nor the U.S. Government warrants that such information has been confirmed to be accurate. This product is sent with the condition that you are responsible for its safe storage, handling, use and disposal. ATCC® and the U.S. Government are not liable for any damages or injuries arising from receipt and/ or use of this product. While reasonable effort is made to ensure authenticity and reliability of materials on deposit, the U.S. Government, ATCC®, their suppliers and contributors to BEI Resources are not liable for damages arising from the misidentification or misrepresentation of products. |
References:
|
1. O’Brien, A. D. and J. F. Sinclair, Personal Communication.
2. Gul, M. Z. et al., “Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Abrus precatorius Leaf Extracts - An in vitro Study.” BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 13 (2013): 53. PubMed: 23452983.
3. Walsh, M. J., J. E. Dodd and G. M. Hautbergue. “Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins: Potent Poisons and Molecular Tools.” Virulence 4 (2013): 774-784. PubMed: 24071927.
4. Bagaria, S., et al. “Mechanistic Insights into the Neutralization of Cytotoxic Abrin by the Monoclonal Antibody D6F10.” PLoS One 29 (2013): e70273. PubMed: 23922965.
5. Tahirov, T. H., et al. “Crystal Structure of Abrin-a at 2.14 Å.” J. Mol. Biol. 250 (1995): 354-367. PubMed: 7608980. Erratum in J. Mol. Biol. 252 (1995): 154.
6. Kimura, M., T. Sumizawa and G. Funatsu. “The Complete Amino Acid Sequences of the B-Chains of Abrin-a and Abrin-b, Toxic Proteins from the Seeds of Abrus precatorius.” Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 57 (1993): 166-169. PubMed: 7763422.
|
|
Citation:
|
Acknowledgment for publications should read "The following reagent was obtained through BEI Resources, NIAID, NIH: Abrin Toxoid (Formalin Fixed Abrin) from Abrus precatorius Seeds, NR-32831."
|
|
Biosafety Level:
|
2
Appropriate safety procedures should always be used with this material. Laboratory safety is discussed in the following publication: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health. Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL). Current Edition. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
|