cover illustration Crystal structure of ricin toxin (Rutenber et al., Proteins, 10, 240, 1991) illustrating the close molecular association between the catalytic A-chain and the lectin B-chain. Molecular surfaces for the B-chain (blue) and the C-terminal domain of the A-chain (white and yellow) are shown to highlight the extent of hydrophobic packing between the subunits.An improved ricin vaccine was developed by recognizing that selected portions of the N-terminal domain of the A-chain (white ribbon) possess a superior balance of hydrophilic/hydrophobic residues for stable folding in the absence of the B-chain. For further details, see Olson et al pages 391-397.
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