Planta Med 2008; 74(2): 163-167
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1034282
Pharmacology
Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Interactions of Viscotoxins with Vesicles of Genuine Plant Membranes

Karin Winkler1 , 2 , Sebastian Jäger1 , Gero Leneweit1 , Rolf Schubert2
  • 1Carl Gustav Carus-Institut, Niefern-Öschelbronn, Germany
  • 2Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, Lehrstuhl für Pharmazeutische Technologie und Biopharmazie, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: July 13, 2007 Revised: November 16, 2007

Accepted: December 9, 2007

Publication Date:
18 January 2008 (online)

Abstract

Extracts of Viscum album L. produced by a specific homogenization procedure contain viscotoxins (VT) and liposome-like membrane vesicles, formed from cellular membranes. Interactions between these membrane structures and viscotoxins are characterized in this work. Binding properties of viscotoxins with mistletoe extracts or isolated membrane vesicles were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and centrifugation, followed by HPLC/UV for viscotoxin detection. The experiments show that a part of the viscotoxins is bound to membrane vesicles, and that this binding to the membrane structures is reversible. In the case of the vesicles studied from an extract of 100 mg plant material per mL (0.30 mM phospholipids, 244 μg/mL VT), 64 μg/mL VTs are bound to the membranes. The binding properties of the viscotoxin isoforms are different. VTA3 clearly binds more intensively to membrane structures than VTA2 or VTA1. Possible interaction of viscotoxins with DNA, which is also discussed as a mechanism of viscotoxin action, could be shown to be negligible in the framework of these experiments.

Abbreviations

CV:coefficient of variation

DNA:deoxyribonucleic acid

F:fraction

GPC:gel permeation chromatography

HPLC:high performance liquid chromatography

HTH:helix-turn-helix motif

PL:phospholipid

SPE:solid phase extraction

VT:viscotoxin

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Dr. Karin Winkler

Carl Gustav Carus-Institut

Am Eichhof 30

75223 Niefern-Öschelbronn

Germany

Phone: +49-7233-68410

Fax: +49-7233-68413

Email: winkler@abnoba.de