Xerocomus chrysenteron lectin: identification of a new pesticidal protein.

Xerocomus chrysenteron is an edible mushroom with insecticidal properties. In an earlier work, we found that proteins are responsible for this toxicity. Here we describe the purification of a approximately 15 kDa lectin, named XCL, from the mushroom.

Proteins as active compounds involved in insecticidal activity of mushroom fruitbodies.

Many mushrooms are toxic to insects. To identify the chemicals involved in insecticidal activity, the toxicity of 14 species has been studied for water solubility, thermolability, and dialysis. The data strongly suggest that proteins are responsible for most of the insecticidal activity of mushroom fruitbodies and may be a source of genes available for plant protection against insects.

Modulation of a lectin insecticidal activity by carbohydrates.

Lectins from plants present an insecticidal activity most probably through their carbohydrate binding properties; as a consequence, their toxicity should vary with the presence of a competitive sugar in the ingested food. In order to test this hypothesis, we performed competition experiments between insecticidal activity and carbohydrate binding. For this purpose, we used a lectin from Lathyrus ochrus and the specific carbohydrate for this protein, glucose.