Purification and characterization of a protein with antifungal, antiproliferative, and HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activities from small brown‐eyed cowpea seeds

Abstract

A 36-kDa protein, with an N-terminal sequence highly homologous to polygalacturonase (PG) inhibiting proteins, was isolated from small brown-eyed cowpea seeds. The protein was unadsorbed on diethylaminoethyl cellulose but adsorbed on both Affi-gel blue gel and SP-sepharose. It inhibited mycelial growth in the fungus Mycosphaerella arachidicola with an half-maximal (50%) inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) of 3.3 µM. It reduced [methyl-(3) H] thymidine incorporation into MBL2 lymphoma and L1210 leukemia cells with an IC50 of 7.4 and 5.4 µM, respectively. It inhibited human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase with an IC50 of 12.9 µM. However, it did not inhibit PG. The potent antifungal and antitumor activities of the protein suggest that it can be developed into an antifungal agent for combating M. arachidicola invasion in crops and an agent for cancer therapy in humans.

Cowpea: an overview on its nutritional facts and health benefits

“…In addition to the phenolics, a Bowman–Birk protease inhibitor, the black‐eyed pea trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor, isolated and purified from cowpea seeds, was found to reduce cell viability and proliferation of MCF‐7 breast cancer cells in a study conducted by Joanitti et al . In another study, a protein (isolated from small brown‐eyed cowpea seeds) with a molecular weight of 36 kDa and with a high sequence similarity to polygalacturonase inhibiting proteins, was reported to inhibit the proliferation of MBL2 lymphoma and L1210 leukemia cells on the contrary, in studies conducted by Lima et al . and Xu and Chang, cowpea extracts did not show any significant activity with respect to inhibiting the growth of several cancer cell lines, including MCF‐7.…”

Plant antifungal proteins and their applications in agriculture

“…A 36-kDa protein, with N-terminal sequence closely resembling polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins but without polygalacturonase inhibiting activity, was purified from small brown-eyed cowpea seed. The protein exerted antifungal activity toward M. arachidicola, reduced tritiated methyl-thymidine uptake into MBL2 lymphoma and L1210 leukemia cells, and inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity with an IC50 of 3.3, 7.4, 5.4, and 12.9 μM, respectively (Tian et al 2013). The severity of damage caused by Phytophthora capcisi was reduced in transgenic tobacco plants expressing pepper polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein ).…”

Actividad biológica de las proteínas de leguminosas del género Vigna: Una breve revisión

“…Existen algunas proteínas que por su estructura o por su bioactividad, son similares a las proteínas de importancia biomédica, lo que ha motivado su estudio y determinar su potencial antiviral. Por ejemplo, Tian et al (2013) evaluaron la actividad inhibitoria de una proteína de las semillas de V. unguiculata homólogas a las proteínas inhibidoras de la poligalacturonasa contra el VIH-RT. Los resultados de este estudio fueron prometedores (IC 50 de 12.9 µM).…”