Entamoeba histolytica adheres to human colonic mucus, colonic epithelial cells, and other target cells via a galactose (Gal) or N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc) inhibitable surface lectin. Blockade of this adherence lectin with Gal or GalNAc in vitro prevents amebic killing of target cells. We have identified and purified the adherence lectin by two methods: affinity columns derivatized with g...

Initial ligand selection and the intermolecular spatial arrangement of glycan-lectin complexes are assumed to be essential to induce formation of stable cell aggregates by a lectin. To distinguish effects of these two processes, the tetrameric mistletoe lectin and its isolated B-chain were used. A reduced impact of multivalency for Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in contrast to rat thymocytes was r...

A lectin was purified from the hemolymph of Sarcophaga peregrina larvae, obtained after injury of their body wall. This lectin agglutinated sheep red blood cells markedly and the hemagglutinating activity was inhibited by galactose and lactose. The active lectin was found to have a molecular weight of 190,000 and to consist of four alpha subunits and two beta subunits, with molecular weights of...

The lectin from jackfruit (Artocarpus integrifolia) seeds has been purified by Rivanol (6,9-diamino-2-ethoxyacridine lactate) treatment. The specific activity, molecular weights of parent lectin and its subunit, its glycoprotein nature, and hemagglutination-inhibition assays suggest that this preparation is identical to that obtained by affinity chromatography on melibiose-agarose adsorbent (Ah...

Sialic acid is believed to play a critical role in the survival of blood platelets in circulation. Wheat germ agglutinin, which shows specificity for sialic acid, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylgalactosamine, strongly activates platelets. The role of sialic acid in platelet activation by this lectin was studied utilizing neuraminidase-treated platelets and the succinylated lectin that has bee...

A method of lectin purification from carp roe (CCRA) was elaborated, which includes affinity chromatography on cross-linked ovomucoid and copolymers of polyvinyl alcohol and blood group-specific substances. That allowed obtaining lectin with electrophoretic purity and yielding of ˜ 42 mg÷kg roe. Electrophoresis in 15% polyacrylamide gel in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol showed one band with ...

A lectin has been isolated from the roots of 5-day soybean (Glycine max (L) cultivar Chippewa) seedlings, and its properties have been compared to those of the soybean seed lectin. The sugar-binding activities of the two lectins, both in terms of specific hemagglutinating activity and sugar specificity, are indistinguishable. Molecular properties of the two lectins, measured as relative molecul...

Two cDNA clones encoding rice lectin have been isolated and characterized to investigate the expression of rice lectin at the molecular and cellular levels. The two cDNA clones code for an identical 23-kilodalton protein which is processed to the mature polypeptide of 18 kilodaltons by co-translational cleavage of a 2.6-kilodalton signal sequence and selective removal of a 2.7-kilodalton COOH-t...

Plants are the most convenient and richest source of lectins due to their ease in isolation and availability. The present study was aimed to characterize the plant lectin isolated from the Artocarpus sps. After extraction of lectin from the jackfruit was subjected to SDS-PAGE which shows diverse biological active properties and also possible to examine their biological activity levels to elute ...

A novel Pinellia ternata lectin was purified from the bulbs of a Chinese herb Pinellia ternata using a combination of hydrophobic chromatography and DEAE-ion exchange chromatography. The lectin was found to be a homodimer of 12093.3 Da subunits as determined by gel filtration and MS. Biochemical characterization of the lectin revealed the existence of a glycoprotein, which contains 3.22% neutra...