Stressed Jerusalem artichoke tubers (Helianthus tuberosus L.) excrete a protein fraction with specific cytotoxicity on plant and animal tumour cell.

Wounds from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) tubers excrete bioactive metabolites from a variety of structural classes, including proteins. Here we describe a protein specifically active against tumour cells arising either from human, animal or plant tissues.

Analysis of secreted protease inhibitors after water stress in potato tubers.

Potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) secrete two kinds of proteinase inhibitors after a water stress. The polypeptides have differing inhibitory activities but are Kunitz-type inhibitors based on amino-terminal sequences homologies. A proteolysis maturation type of a cell protease inhibitor was observed.

Cytotoxic effects of kinetin riboside on mouse, human and plant tumour cells.

The cytotoxicity of two plant hormone compounds, kinetin and kinetin riboside, was studied on tumour cells, by colony forming assay with increased amount of cytotoxic molecules. The concentration of inhibitor required to reduce cell growth to 50% was determined for these molecules. Kinetin riboside was shown to only act on M4 Beu human and B16 murine melanoma cells at low concentration (1.

[In vitro synthesis of cytokinins in isolated roots of lupin (Lupinus albus L.) treated with lectins extracted from cotyledons and leaves].

The synthesis of cytokinins in isolated roots of Lupinus albus L. cultured under sterile conditions, seems to be induced by leaf proteins and lectins extracted from the cotyledons. Immunochemical methods have been used to prove that the leaf proteins were lectins too, quite different from those coming from cotyledons, but having the same effect on the root cytokinins synthesis.