http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricin
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The protein ricin (pronounced /ˈraɪsɨn/) is a toxin extracted from the castor bean (Ricinus communis).
Ricin has an average lethal dose in humans of 0.2 milligrams (1/5,000th of a gram), though some sources give higher figures.
Ricin is poisonous if inhaled, injected, or ingested, acting as a toxin by the inhibition of protein synthesis. Ricin is 6000 times more toxic than cyanide and 12 000 times more poisonous than rattlesnake venom by weight. While there is no known antidote, the US military has developed a vaccine.[2] Symptomatic and supportive treatment is available. Long term organ damage is likely in survivors. Ricin causes severe diarrhea and victims can die of shock. (See abrin).
Ricin is easily purified from castor-oil manufacturing waste. The seed-pulp left over from pressing for castor oil contains on average about 5% by weight of ricin. Since 0.2 mg of purified Ricin constitutes a fatal dose, this is a considerable amount of ricin. Process is described in U.S. Patent 3,060,165.
In the United States, a person caught manufacturing or possessing ricin may be sentenced to up to 10 years for possession or life for possession with intent to provide to a foreign government or use as a weapon.
Ricin consists of two distinct protein chains (almost 30 kDa each) that are linked to each other by a disulfide bond:
* Ricin A is an N-glycoside hydrolase that targets and depurinates an adenine base at the 28s rRNA gene, resulting in an inhibition of protein biosynthesis.
* Ricin B is a lectin that binds galactosyl residues and is important in assisting ricin A's entry into a cell by binding with a cell surface component.
Many plants such as barley have the A chain but not the B chain. Since people do not get sick from eating large amounts of such products, ricin A is of extremely low toxicity as long as the B chain is not present.
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