Ricin - How toxic is it?

[Squink]

Nice bit on the seed toxicity though. Have you got the link for that?

[edwino]

@Ravenman

slight hijack - from the emedicine site above, I read this: “This basic structure of ricin is similar to those of the botulinum toxin, cholera toxin, diphtheria toxin, tetanus toxin, and insulin.” Ok, ricin, botulinum, cholera being similar, I can kind of get. But insulin? Is insulin considered a toxic substance?

I believe what they are talking about is that these all consist of two different subunits. I know ricin and insulin subunits are held together by disulfide -S-S- bonds, but IIRC cholera and diphtheria toxin (with are the classic alpha-beta toxins, both inhibit different large heterotrimeric G-proteins) are just held together by protein coupling (hydrogen, ionic, van der Waals bonding).

[antechinus]

@Squink

Nice bit on the seed toxicity though. Have you got the link for that?

Cant link. It is a local database.
RTECS - Register of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances