Table 1.
Family | Source | Structural features | Biological activity | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lectin | Ubiquitous in plants | One or more CRDs | Carbohydrate-binding activity | Van Damme et al., 2008, Van Damme, 2014 |
Ribosome-inactivating proteins | Widely distributed | N-glycosidase domain | N-glycosidase activity | Peumans et al., 2001, Shang et al., 2014 |
Protease inhibitors/α-amylase inhibitors | Widely distributed, rich in storage tissues | N/A | Inhibition of protease/α-amylase | Leung et al., 2000, Murdock and Shade, 2002, Svensson et al., 2004 |
Urease and canatoxin-like proteins | Mainly in legumes | A 10 kDa region, with a β-hairpin motif | Ureolytic activity Pore-forming activity |
Follmer et al., 2001, Barros et al., 2009 |
Arcelins | Seeds of Phaseolus sp. | Legume lectin fold | N/A | Acosta-Gallegos et al., 1998, Zaugg et al., 2013 |
Thionins | A number of monocot and dicot plants | ∼5 kDa cysteine containing proteins | Increase of cell membrane permeability | Stec (2006) |
Cyclotides | Widely distributed | Cyclic cysteine knot | Pore-forming activity | Craik et al. (2012) |
Pore-forming toxins | Some plants, e.g. Enterolobium contortisiliquum, wheat | Membrane-spanning region (ß-barrel/α-helical) | Pore-forming activity | Bittencourt et al., 2003, Puthoff et al., 2005 |