BACKGROUND The spider-venom peptide ω-hexatoxin-Hv1a (Hv1a) targets insect voltage-gated calcium channels, acting directly at sites within the central nervous system. It is potently insecticidal when injected into a wide variety of insect pests, but it has limited oral toxicity. We examined the ability of snowdrop lectin (GNA), which is capable of traversing the insect gut epithelium, to act as...

Four main sources of the hazards of GMO are discussed by scientists worldwide: 1) those due to the new genes, and gene products introduced; 2) unintended effects inherent to the technology; 3) interactions between foreign genes and host genes; and 4) those arising from the spread of the introduced genes by ordinary cross-pollination as well as by horizontal gene transfer (World Scientists' Stat...

The interaction of a series of synthetic, branched trisaccharides with five D-mannose-specific lectins was studied by precipitation-inhibition assay. The branched methyl alpha-D-mannotrioside, alpha-D-Manp-(1----3)-[alpha-D-Manp-(1----6)]-alpha-D-Man pOMe, the best inhibitor of the Con A-Dextran interaction, was 42 times more potent than alpha-D-ManpOMe, and 3-6 times more potent than the two t...

Lectin affinity chromatography (LAC) can provide a valuable front-end enrichment strategy for the study of N-glycoproteins and has been used to characterize a broad range eukaryotic N-glycoproteomes. Moreover, studies with mammalian systems have suggested that the use of multiple lectins with different affinities can be particularly effective. A multi-lectin approach has also been reported to p...

Although recent global warming trends in air temperature are not as pronounced as those observed only one decade ago, global mean temperature is still at a very high level. Does plant phenology - which is believed to be a suitable indicator of climate change - respond in a similar way, that is, does it still mirror recent temperature variations? We explored in detail long-term flowering onset d...

Galantamine, an alkaloid isolated from the bulbs and flowers of Caucasian snowdrop (Galanthus woronowii, Amaryllidaceae) and related species, is employed in human medicine for the treatment of various neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. After the administration, the products of oxidative biotransformation (O-desmethyl-galantamine, N-desmethyl-galantamine, galantamine-N-oxide) and chir...

A re-investigation of the occurrence and taxonomic distribution of proteins built up of protomers consisting of two tandem arrayed domains equivalent to the GNA [Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) agglutinin] revealed that these are widespread among monotyledonous plants. Phylogenetic analysis of the available sequences indicated that these proteins do not represent a monophylogenetic group but most ...

BanLec is a jacalin-related lectin isolated from the fruit of bananas, Musa acuminata. This lectin binds to high mannose carbohydrate structures, including those found on viruses containing glycosylated envelope proteins such as human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Therefore, we hypothesized that BanLec might inhibit HIV-1 through binding of the glycosylated HIV-1 envelope protein, gp12...

BACKGROUND Despite evidence suggesting a role in plant defence, the use of plant lectins in crop protection has been hindered by their low and species-specific insecticidal activity. Snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin; GNA) is transported to the haemolymph of insects after oral ingestion, and can be used as a basis for novel insecticides. Recombinant proteins containing GNA expressed...