Fruit Juices of Etcho (Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum) and Giant Cardon (Pachycereus pringlei) are Sources of Health-Promoting Ingredients with Potential Anticancer Properties.

Mexico is one of the main diversification centers of cacti in the world, with more than 500 endemic species, most of which remain nutritionally and functionally uncharacterized. The columnar cacti of the genus Pachycereus comprise five underutilized endemic Mexican species, whose nutraceutical properties have only been studied in the P. weberi species.

Antiproliferative Potential of Olneya tesota PF2 Lectin in Human Acute Monocytic Leukemia Cells.

Acute monocytic leukemia is a type of myeloid leukemia that develops in monocytes. The current clinical therapies for leukemia are unsatisfactory due to their side effects and nonspecificity toward target cells. Some lectins display antitumor activity and may specifically recognize cancer cells by binding to carbohydrate structures on their surface.

Characterization and expression of prohibitin during the mexican bean weevil (Zabrotes subfasciatus, Boheman, 1833) larvae development.

Prohibitin (PHB) is a highly conserved eukaryotic protein complex involved in multiple cellular processes. In insects, PHB has been identified as a potential target protein to insecticidal molecules acting as a receptor of PF2 insecticidal lectin in the midgut of Zabrotes subfasciatus larvae (bean pest) and Cry protein of Bacillus thuringiensis in Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado potato beetle). This study aimed to characterize the structural features of Z.

Gene Sequences of Potential Targets of Insecticidal PF2 Lectin Identified from the Larval De Novo Transcriptome of the Mexican Bean Weevil (; Boheman 1833).

The available genomic and proteomic information of non-model organisms is often underrepresented in public databases hindering their study at molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. Information on (Mexican bean weevil) is poorly represented in databases, yet it is a major pest of common beans. We report the transcriptome of larvae; transcripts were sequenced using an Illumina RNA-Seq technology and assembled de novo identifying 29,029 unigenes with an average size of 1168 bp and an N50 value of 2196 bp.

Insights into the Structural Features, Conformational Stability and Functional Activity of the Olneya tesota PF2 Lectin.

Background: The O. tesota lectin PF2 is a tetrameric protein with subunits of 33 kDa that recognizes only complex carbohydrates, resistant to proteolytic enzymes and has insecticidal activity against Phaseolus beans pest.

Objective: To explore PF2 lectin features at different protein structural levels and to evaluate the effect of temperature and pH on its functionality and conformational stability.

Legume Lectins: Proteins with Diverse Applications.

Lectins are a diverse class of proteins distributed extensively in nature. Among these proteins; legume lectins display a variety of interesting features including antimicrobial; insecticidal and antitumor activities. Because lectins recognize and bind to specific glycoconjugates present on the surface of cells and intracellular structures; they can serve as potential target molecules for developing practical applications in the fields of food; agriculture; health and pharmaceutical research.

Recognition and binding of the PF2 lectin to α-amylase from Zabrotes subfasciatus (Coleoptera:Bruchidae) larval midgut.

Amylases are an important family of enzymes involved in insect carbohydrate metabolism that are required for the survival of insect larvae. For this reason, enzymes from starch-dependent insects are targets for insecticidal control. PF2 (Olneya tesota) is a lectin that is toxic to Zabrotes subfasciatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) larvae.

Binding of PF2 lectin from Olneya tesota to gut proteins of Zabrotes subfasciatus larvae associated with the insecticidal mechanism.

Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) is the main pest of common beans ( Phaselous vulgaris ). Wild legume seeds from Olneya tesota contain a lectin, PF2, that shows insecticidal activities against this insect. The binding of PF2 to midgut glycoproteins of 20-day-old larvae was evaluated using PF2 affinity chromatography.

Insecticidal action of PF2 lectin from Olneya tesota (Palo Fierro) against Zabrotes subfasciatus larvae and midgut glycoconjugate binding.

Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) is the main pest of common beans (Phaselous vulgaris). Some wild legume seeds may contain lectins with insecticidal activities against this insect. The larval developments of Z.