Disease relevance of Phytolacca

• Recombinant Spinacia and Phytolacca DFRs expressed in Escherichia coli convert dihydroflavonol to leucoanthocyanidin [1].
• Three lectins, from Canavalia ensiformis (concanavalin), Triticum vulgare (wheat germ A), and Phytolacca americana (pokeweed [PWM]), were found to react with fungal pathogens commonly encountered in nosocomial infections [2].
• A laboratory study of the toxicity of the butanol extract of endod (Phytolacca dodecandra) on two species of freshwater fish and two species of aquatic snails [3].
• Control of schistosomiasis in Adwa, Ethiopia, using the plant molluscicide endod (Phytolacca dodecandra) [4].

High impact information on Phytolacca

• Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), a 29-kD protein isolated from Phytolacca americana inhibits translation by catalytically removing a specific adenine residue from the large rRNA of the 60S subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes [5].
• Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) is a ribosome-inactivating protein isolated from the pokeweed plant (Phytolacca americana) that inhibits the proliferation of several plant and animal viruses [6].
• We show here that pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) ribosomes, as well as endod (Phytolacca dodecandra) ribosomes, are indeed highly sensitive to inactivation by conspecific RIPs [7].
• Pokeweed antiviral protein III (PAP-III), a naturally occurring protein isolated from late summer leaves of the pokeweed plant (Phytolacca americana), has potent anti-HIV activity by an as yet undetermined molecular mechanism [8].
• Systemic induction of a Phytolacca insularis antiviral protein gene by mechanical wounding, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid [9].

Biological context of Phytolacca

• Resulting IC50 values of 3-7 nM PAP, PAP-II, PAP-S or dodecandrin indicate that supernatants from these Phytolacca cells lack a ribosomal protective element [7].
• The lectins, wheat germ agglutinin, fucose binding protein, soy bean agglutinin and the lectin from Phytolacca americana were used in the study [10].
• Investigations at UT-Austin have concerned many topics such as biochemical and molecular systematics, biosynthetic pathways, structure-activity relationships, and the medicinal importance of natural products and included studies of antiviral proteins in the genus Phytolacca and neurotoxic nonprotein amino acids from cycads and other sources [11].

Anatomical context of Phytolacca

• The nature of the differential inhibition of polyphenylalanine synthesis in extracts from Artemia salina and rabbit reticulocytes by the Phytolacca americana protein [12].
• We have studied histochemically the effects of clomiphene citrate on the expression of oligosacchrides on the apical plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells using the lectin Phytolacca americana [13].
• Seven days after mice treated with Phytolacca acinosa polysaccharides I (PAP-I) 5-50 mg.kg-1, the NK cell activity, and lymphocyte proliferation induced by Con A 5 micrograms.ml-1 or lipopolysaccharides 10 micrograms.ml-1 were significantly augmented [14].

Associations of Phytolacca with chemical compounds

• Isolation and characterisation of a cysteine protease (phytolacain G), from Phytolacca americana roots [15].
• Two triterpenoidal saponins having phytolaccagenin as the aglycone were isolated from the roots of Phytolacca esculenta (Phytolaccaceae) [16].
• Esculentoside L and K: two new saponins from Phytolacca esculenta [17].
• We isolated cDNAs encoding dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), which is the first enzyme committed to anthocyanin biosynthesis in the flavonoid pathway, from Spinacia oleracea and Phytolacca americana, plants that belong to the Caryophyllales [1].
• A triterpenoid saponin from Phytolacca esculenta [18].

Gene context of Phytolacca

• Effects of Phytolacca acinosa polysaccharides I with different schedules on its antitumor efficiency in tumor bearing mice and production of IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, TNF, CSF activity in normal mice [19].
• Phytolacca americana inhibits the high glucose-induced mesangial proliferation via suppressing extracellular matrix accumulation and TGF-beta production [20].
• Pokeweed antiviral protein II (PAP-II) is a naturally occurring protein isolated from early summer leaves of the pokeweed plant (Phytolacca americana) [21].
• Finally, the fact that, in contrast to Dm28c and Y, the Cl strain strongly interacted with Triticum vulgaris (WGA) but not with Phytolacca lectin may be due to the presence of N-acetyl neuraminic acid residues on these organisms [22].
• Amino acid differences among Phytolacca ferredoxins and other higher plant ferredoxins suggest that duplication of the ferredoxin gene occurred after the divergence of Phytolacca from other higher plants and preceded the separation of two species of Phytolacca [23].

References