Antiviral Activity of Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins

• Published in: Toxins Vol. 13; no. 2; p. 80
• Main Authors: Citores, Lucía, Iglesias, Rosario, Ferreras, José M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.01.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: adenine polynucleotide glycosylase; Animals; Antiviral activity; Antiviral Agents - isolation & purification; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; antiviral therapy; Cytotoxicity; Deactivation; Dengue fever; Encephalitis; Hepatitis B; Herpes viruses; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; human virus; Humans; immunotoxin; Infectious diseases; Influenza; Leukemia; Pest Control, Biological; Plant diseases; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Diseases - prevention & control; Plant Diseases - virology; Plants, Genetically Modified - enzymology; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified - virology; Polypeptides; Protein biosynthesis; Protein synthesis; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors - isolation & purification; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; Proteins; Review; Ribosome Inactivating Proteins - isolation & purification; Ribosome Inactivating Proteins - pharmacology; ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP); Ribosomes; rRNA; rRNA glycosylase (EC 3.2.2.22); Toxins, Biological - isolation & purification; Toxins, Biological - pharmacology; Transgenic plants; Viral infections; Virus Diseases - drug therapy; Virus Diseases - metabolism; Virus Diseases - virology; Viruses; Viruses - drug effects; Viruses - metabolism; Viruses - pathogenicity; virus-resistant transgenic plant (VRTP); ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP); adenine polynucleotide glycosylase; rRNA glycosylase (EC 3.2.2.22); immunotoxin; human virus; antiviral therapy
• ISSN: 2072-6651; 2072-6651
• DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020080

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are rRNA N-glycosylases from plants (EC 3.2.2.22) that inactivate ribosomes thus inhibiting protein synthesis. The antiviral properties of RIPs have been investigated for more than four decades. However, interest in these proteins is rising due to the emergence of infectious diseases caused by new viruses and the difficulty in treating viral infections. On the other hand, there is a growing need to control crop diseases without resorting to the use of phytosanitary products which are very harmful to the environment and in this respect, RIPs have been shown as a promising tool that can be used to obtain transgenic plants resistant to viruses. The way in which RIPs exert their antiviral effect continues to be the subject of intense research and several mechanisms of action have been proposed. The purpose of this review is to examine the research studies that deal with this matter, placing special emphasis on the most recent findings.