CaBo is a mannose/glucose-specific lectin purified from seeds of Canavalia bonariensis. In the present work, we report the CaBo crystal structure determined to atomic resolution in the presence of X-man, a specific ligand. Similar to the structural characteristics of other legume lectins, CaBo presented the jellyroll motif, a metal binding site occupied by calcium and manganese ions close to the carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD). In vitro test of CaBo cytotoxicity against glioma cells demonstrated its ability to decrease the cellular viability and migration by induction of autophagy and cell death. Molecular docking simulations corroborate previous data indicating that the lectin's biological activities occur mostly through interactions with glycoproteins since the lectin interacted favorably with several N-glycans, especially those of the high-mannose type. Together, these results suggest that CaBo interacts with glycosylated cell targets and elicits a remarkable antiglioma activity.
Plant lectins have been studied owing to their structural properties and biological effects that include agglutinating activity, antidepressant-like effect and antitumor property. The results from this work showed the effects of the lectin extracted from the Dioclea violacea plant (DVL) on the C6 rat glioma cell line. DVL treatment was able to induce caspase-3 activation, apoptotic cell death and cellular membrane damage. Furthermore, DVL decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased the number of acidic vesicles and cleavage of LC3, indicating activation of autophagic processes. DVL also significantly inhibited cell migration. Compared to ConA, a well-studied lectin extracted from Canavalia ensiformes seeds, some effects of DVL were more potent, including decreasing C6 glioma cell viability and migration ability. Taken together, the results suggest that DVL can induce glioma cell death, autophagy and inhibition of cell migration, displaying potential anti-glioma activity.
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.