Review: The future of cystatin engineering

Wyk, Stefan George van; Kunert, K.; Cullis, Christopher A.; Pillay, Priyen; Makgopa, M.E.; Schlüter, Urte; Vorster, Juan

doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.02.016

Cited by 45 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Therefore, as nutraceutical, grass pea is an excellent example of a potential "functional food" (Singh and Rao 2013;Llorent-Martínez et al 2017). The amino acid l-homoarginine provides benefits in cardiovascular disease treatments (Rao 2011;Singh and Rao 2013;van Wyk et al 2016) and in overcoming the consequences of hypoxia, i.e., the inadequate oxygen supply at the tissue level, associated with cancer tumor development (Ke and Costa 2006;Jammulamadaka et al 2011). Thus, a daily dietary intake of l-homoarginine through small quantities of grass pea may be valuable for human health and deserves to be studied further (Rao 2011).…”

Section: Grass Pea Boon or Bane?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.): orphan crop, nutraceutical or just plain food?

Lambein

Travella

Kuo

et al. 2019

Planta

145

127

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Main conclusion Although grass pea is an environmentally successful robust legume with major traits of interest for food and nutrition security, the genetic potential of this orphan crop has long been neglected. Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a Neolithic plant that has survived millennia of cultivation and has spread over three continents. It is a robust legume crop that is considered one of the most resilient to climate changes and to be survival food during drought-triggered famines. The hardy penetrating root system allows the cultivation of grass pea in various soil types, including marginal ones. As an efficient nitrogen fixer, it meets its own nitrogen requirements and positively benefits subsequent crops. However, already in ancient India and Greece, overconsumption of the seeds and a crippling neurological disorder, later coined neurolathyrism, had been linked. Overemphasis of their suspected toxic properties has led to disregard the plant's exceptionally positive agronomic properties and dietary advantages. In normal socioeconomic and environmental situations, in which grass pea is part of a balanced diet, neurolathyrism is virtually non-existent. The etiology of neurolathyrism has been oversimplified and the deficiency in methionine in the diet has been overlooked. In view of the global climate change, this very adaptable and nutritious orphan crop deserves more attention. Grass pea can become a wonder crop if the double stigma on its reputation as a toxic plant and as food of the poor can be disregarded. Additionally, recent research has exposed the potential of grass pea as a health-promoting nutraceutical. Development of varieties with an improved balance in essential amino acids and diet may be relevant to enhance the nutritional value without jeopardizing the multiple stress tolerance of this promising crop.

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Section: Grass Pea Boon or Bane?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.): orphan crop, nutraceutical or just plain food?

Lambein

Travella

Kuo

et al. 2019

Planta

145

127

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“…Cystatins are virtually the most widely represented class of cysteine proteinase inhibitors, ubiquitously distributed in plants and animals, and devoted to regulating degradation of both intracellular and extracellular proteins. Cystatins function as competitive inhibitors which coordinate the biological activity of C1 class (papain-like) cysteine proteases that are involved in proteolytic processes [28]. Cystatins bind to the active site of cysteine proteases as pseudo-substrates thus making target cysteine proteases unable of cleaving peptide bonds.…”

Section: Cystatinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Journey of cystatins from being mere thiol protease inhibitors to at heart of many pathological conditions

Shamsi

Bano

2017

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

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Cystatins are thiol proteinase inhibitors (TPI), present ubiquitously in animals, plants and micro-organisms. These are not merely inhibitors rather they are at heart of many pathological conditions ranging from diabetes to renal failure. These are essential for maintenance of protein balance of the cell; once this balance gets disturbed, it may lead to cell death. Thus, cystatins cannot be merely regarded as TPI's as these have been found to play a pivotal role in tumorigenesis and neurodegenerative diseases. Many studies have reported the variation in cystatin level in incidences of different types of cancer; highlighting an important role played by these inhibitors in cancer development and progression. Cystatin C is increasingly replacing creatinine as a biomarker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) thereby highlighting the importance of this important inhibitor. Some recent studies have also reported the interaction pattern of various anti-cancer drugs with cystatins in a bid to find how these drugs affect this important inhibitors and whether these drugs have any side effect on cystatins. Thus, in this growing disease era it can be said that cystatins are no more just inhibitors blocking the activity of thiol proteases rather they play a pivotal role in variety of pathological conditions.

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“…It involves a conserved tripartite wedge formed by the partially flexible N-terminus containing one or two glycine residues and two hairpin loops carrying a conserved QxVxG motif and a tryptophan residue, respectively [4]. Minor sequence and structural variations, mainly in hypervariable sites, are implicated in the different target inhibitory potency and specificity among PhyCys [12,13]. Figure 1 displays a structural overlay of PhyCys members from the algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii , the moss P. patens and the angiosperm Hordeum vulgare that shows the common globular structure and the minor structural variations among PhyCys.…”

Section: Phytocystatin Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Besides, the creation of hybrid PIs by combining PI genes or derived partial sequences may enhance their activity or increase the potential number of interactions in the target pest [13]. Plastid engineering technology combined with transgene stacking approach has provided the generation of tobacco multi-resistance against insects and pathogens.…”

Section: Biotechnological Cystatin Applications To Control Pestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, some biochemical characteristics of cystatins, such are their small size or their stability, have redirected the interest for their production as recombinant molecules. The large-scale production of PhyCys has already demonstrated their utility as nutraceuticals, food additives or stabilizers of other recombinant proteins [13]. Probably, the evaluation of their potential as chemicals with insecticide and acaricide properties to be sprayed is the next step.…”

Section: Conclusion and Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Phytocystatins: Defense Proteins against Phytophagous Insects and Acari

Martínez

Santamaría

Díaz-Mendoza

et al. 2016

IJMS

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This review deals with phytocystatins, focussing on their potential role as defence proteins against phytophagous arthropods. Information about the evolutionary, molecular and biochemical features and inhibitory properties of phytocystatins are presented. Cystatin ability to inhibit heterologous cysteine protease activities is commented on as well as some approaches of tailoring cystatin specificity to enhance their defence function towards pests. A general landscape on the digestive proteases of phytophagous insects and acari and the remarkable plasticity of their digestive physiology after feeding on cystatins are highlighted. Biotechnological approaches to produce recombinant cystatins to be added to artificial diets or to be sprayed as insecticide–acaricide compounds and the of use cystatins as transgenes are discussed. Multiple examples and applications are included to end with some conclusions and future perspectives.

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Review: The future of cystatin engineering

Cited by 45 publications

References 56 publications

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.): orphan crop, nutraceutical or just plain food?

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.): orphan crop, nutraceutical or just plain food?

Journey of cystatins from being mere thiol protease inhibitors to at heart of many pathological conditions

Phytocystatins: Defense Proteins against Phytophagous Insects and Acari

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