Maize polyamine oxidase in the presence of spermine/spermidine induces the apoptosis of LoVo human colon adenocarcinoma cells
Amine oxidases, which contribute to the regulation of polyamine levels, catalyze the oxidative deamination of polyamines to generate H2O2 and aldehyde(s). In this study, and at least to the best of our knowledge, maize polyamine oxidase (ZmPAO) was used for the first time with the aim of identifying a novel strategy for cancer therapy. The cytotoxicity and the mechanisms of cell death induced by the enzymatic oxidation products of polyamine generated by ZmPAO were investigated.