Edible mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) lectin, which reversibly inhibits epithelial cell proliferation, blocks nuclear localization sequence-dependent nuclear protein import

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 274; no. 8; pp. 4890 - 4899
• Main Authors: Yu, L.G, Fernig, D.G, White, M.R.H, Spillers, D.G, Appleton, P, Evans, R.C, Grierson, I, Smith, J.A, Davies, H, Gerasimenko, O.V, Petersen, O.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 19.02.1999
• Subjects: adenocarcinoma; Adult; Agaricus bisporus; Amino Acid Sequence; Biological Transport; bovine serum albumin; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases - metabolism; cell division; Cell Division - drug effects; cell lines; Cell Membrane Permeability - drug effects; colon; cytochemistry; Digitonin - pharmacology; endocytosis; Epithelial Cells - cytology; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Female; Fluorescein - metabolism; heat shock proteins; HT29 Cells; Humans; inhibition; lectins; Lectins - pharmacology; Microscopy, Confocal; Microscopy, Electron; mitogen activated protein kinase; Molecular Sequence Data; mushrooms; Nuclear Localization Signals - drug effects; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; nuclei; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; protein transport; protein uptake; signal peptide; synthetic proteins
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.8.4890

The Galβ1–3GalNAcα (TF antigen)-binding lectin (ABL) from the common edible mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus ) has a potent anti-proliferative effect without any apparent cytotoxicity. This unusual combination of properties prompted investigation of its mechanism of action. In contrast to soluble lectin, agarose-immobilized, and hence noninternalizable ABL had no effect on proliferation of HT29 colon cancer cells. Electron microscopy of HT29 cells incubated with fluorescein- and gold-conjugated ABL showed internalization of the lectin into endocytotic vesicles and multivesicular bodies. Confocal microscopy showed perinuclear accumulation of fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectin, which also inhibits HT29 cell proliferation, raising the possibility that the lectin might interfere with nuclear pore function. Transport of heat shock protein 70 into the nucleus in response to heat shock was blocked by preincubation of HT29 cells for 6 h with 40 μg/ml ABL. In digitonin-permeabilized cells, nuclear uptake of bovine albumin conjugated to a nuclear localization sequence (NLS)-containing peptide was also inhibited by a 15-min preincubation with 40–100 μg/ml ABL. In contrast, serum-stimulated nuclear translocation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, which is NLS-independent, was not affected by pretreatment of cells with the lectin. These results suggest that the anti-proliferative effect of ABL is likely to be a consequence of the lectin trafficking to the nuclear periphery, where it blocks NLS-dependent protein uptake into the nucleus.