Green tea catechin as a chemical chaperone in cancer prevention

Cancer Lett. 2008 Mar 8;261(1):12-20. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2007.10.037.

Abstract

Green tea catechins have recently gained significant acceptance as a cancer preventive, and one of the important features of catechins is their interactions with various target molecules. We recently found a functional and structural similarity between catechins and chaperones: Stochastic conformational analysis in silico revealed numerous conformations of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, (-)-epicatechin gallate and (-)-epigallocatechin, showing a unique flexibility and mobility of the catechin molecules and suggesting the significance of a galloyl group in conformational variation. Since these conformations result in interaction with various types of molecules, we think that green tea catechin induces cancer preventive activity mediated through a chaperone-like property.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catechin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Catechin / chemistry
  • Catechin / pharmacology
  • Molecular Chaperones / chemistry*
  • Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Catechin
  • epigallocatechin gallate