Stroma: as an affinity adsorbent for non-inhibitable lectins

Halilectin 1 (H-1) and Halilectin 2 (H-2): two new lectins isolated from the marine sponge Haliclona caerulea

Two new lectins named Halilectin 1 (H-1) and Halilectin 2 (H-2) were isolated from the marine sponge Haliclona caerulea using a combination of affinity chromatography on stroma fixed onto Sephadex G-25 and cation and anion exchange chromatography. H-1 is a monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 40 kDa estimated using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 15 kDa estimated using a TSK gel. Conversely, H-2 is a homodimeric protein with 15 kDa monomers linked via weak interactions. H-1 more effectively agglutinates trypsinized rabbit erythrocytes, whereas H-2 more effectively agglutinates native rabbit erythrocytes. The hemagglutinating activity of H-1 could be not inhibited by any tested sugars, but H-2 was inhibited by orosomucoid and porcine stomach mucin. Neither lectin was dependent on divalent ions. H-1 was stable at basic pH range and temperatures up to 50 °C, whereas H-2 was stable at acid pH range and temperatures up to 80 °C. The H. caerulea lectins exhibited dose-dependent toxicity against Artemia nauplii. Additionally, 76% of the primary structure of H-2 was determined using tandem mass spectrometry to contain a unique amino acid sequence with no similarity to any members of the animal lectin family.

Innate Immunity in Lobsters: Partial Purification and Characterization of a Panulirus cygnus Anti-A Lectin

A lectin detected in haemolymph from the Australian spiny lobster Panulirus cygnus agglutinated human ABO Group A cells to a higher titre than Group O or B. The lectin also agglutinated rat and sheep erythrocytes, with reactivity with rat erythrocytes strongly enhanced by treatment with the proteolytic enzyme papain, an observation consistent with reactivity via a glycolipid. The lectin, purified by affinity chromatography on fixed rat-erythrocyte stroma, was inhibited equally by N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine. Comparison of data from gel filtration of haemolymph (behaving as a 1,800,000 Da macromolecule), and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified lectin (a single 67,000 Da band), suggested that in haemolymph the lecin was a multimer. The purified anti-A lectin autoprecipitated unless the storage solution contained chaotropic inhibitors (125 mmol/L sucrose: 500 mmol/L urea). The properties of this anti-A lectin and other similar lectins are consistent with a role in innate immunity in these invertebrates.

Isolation and characterization of novel lectins from Canavalia ensiformis DC and Dioclea grandiflora Mart. ex Benth. seeds

Two lectins were isolated from Canavalia ensiformis and Dioclea grandiflora seeds. Gel filtration produced a fraction corresponding to Con A or D. grandiflora lectin while erythroagglutination assays revealed a distinct fraction presenting a lectin that agglutinates human red blood cells (RBCs) but not rabbit RBCs. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography showed that the latter fraction yielded a protein that readily agglutinates human erythrocytes; the lectin was also purified by affinity chromatography on Lac-Sepharose showing similar properties to that of the Phenyl-Sepharose-purified lectin. Despite minor differences (carbohydrate content or A1%1cm), the two lectins showed similar molecular properties in that they consisted of two non-covalently linked monomers having a Mr of 29-30 kDa and their pI values indicated that both lectins were slightly acidic proteins. The C. ensiformis lectin (CEL-II) and D. grandiflora lectin (DGL-II) specifically recognised the H-type 2 blood group (alpha-L-Fuc (1-2)-beta-D-Gal (1-4)-beta-D-GlcNAc-O-R), while binding to H-type 1, H-type 3, H-type 4, Leª or Le y was weaker. Carbohydrate inhibition of erythroagglutination showed that simple sugars were weakly recognised by the lectins, if at all. The N-terminal region presented a unique sequence hitherto found only in some Diocleinae lectins (designated type II). The overall results confirmed the existence of a second distinct lectin type, phylogenetically close to Diocleinae species. The data indicate a functional similarity among lectins of this type which possesses distinctive characteristics differentiating them from "classical" Man/Glc lectins.

The potential in biotechnology of immobilized cells and of immobilized multistep enzyme—coenzyme systems

Despite the increasing number of reports in the literature on the immobilization of cells or enzymes for the production of more complex compounds involving multistep enzyme systems and coenzymes, no such systems are yet known to be used commercially on a large-scale basis (vaccine production by microcarrier-attached animal cells being an exception). Various systems that have been described are reviewed, including plant and animal cells. Special emphasis is given to the choice to be made between the use of immobilized cells or immobilized enzyme sequences. In this context alternative regeneration methods for coenzymes are discussed. Special attention is brought to the potential for such biosyntheses with immobilized-permeabilized cells. It is likely that the list of immobilized cells and enzymes used at present and restricted to single enzymic steps will be extended in the not too distant future by more complex systems.

Isolation of an immunosuppressive lectin from Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Cacahuate using stroma

An immunosuppressive lectin was isolated from seed of Phaseolus vulgaris cv Cacahuate using physically entrapped stroma. The lectin was found to be a 94 kDa tetrameric protein. When 50 micrograms, of this lectin were administered intraperitoneally 2 days before the immunization with sheep red blood cells, humoral response against the immunogen was completely inhibited. Other properties of the protein are discussed.

Purification and characterization of a lectin from Phaseolus acutifolius var. latifolius

The lectin from Phaseolus acutifolius var. latifolius has been purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography using stroma-sephadex, gel filtration and electrofocusing. The purified lectin consists of four subunits of 21 Kd molecular mass each one with 7.4% w/w total carbohydrate. Red cells of human and animal species, are agglutinated but are not inhibited by a series of sugars. Mitogenicity and immunosuppressive activities were demonstrated. Agglutination requires magnesium and calcium ions.

Binding of hydrophobic ligands to plant lectins: titration with arylaminonaphthalenesulfonates

Binding of the hydrophobic ligands 1,8-anilinonaphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) and 2,6-toluidinylnaphthalenesulfonic acid (TNS) to a variety of plant lectins was studied by lectin-induced alteration of the fluorescence spectra of the two ligands. With one exception, all legume lectins examined bound ANS, with affinity constants ranging from 10(3) to 10(4) M-1. Similar ANS binding was noted for some nonlegume lectins. Titration of the five isolectins from Phaseolus vulgaris with ANS indicated positive cooperative binding of ANS to the two isolectins E4 and E3L1. Titrations with TNS revealed high-affinity sites for this ligand in a number of lectins. Addition of haptenic sugars did not inhibit binding of ANS, suggesting that the hydrophobic binding sites of lectins are independent of the carbohydrate binding sites.

Purification and partial characterization of an agglutinin from Phaseolus coccineus var. 'alubia'

An agglutination from seeds of 'alubia', a Mexican strain of Phaseolus coccineus, has been purified by affinity chromatography using physically entrapped stroma. The protein appears to be homogeneous by electrophoresis, molecular sieve chromatography and ultracentrifugation. A molecular species of approx. Mr 112,000, with S values of 6.25, 4.52, 4.63 and 4.65 at pH 2.5, 4.5, 7.0 and 9.5, respectively, consisting of four similar subunits (28 kDa), and containing 20% W/W glucosamine, is found to be responsible for the hemagglutinating capacity of 'alubia' extracts. No sugar able to inhibit agglutination has been found. The possibility that hemagglutination by Ph. coccineus var. 'alubia' involves cell receptors other than simple carbohydrate structures must therefore be considered.

Lipid-mediated hemagglutination and its relevance to lectin-mediated agglutination

Oleic acid and dioleoyl phosphatidic acid at low concentrations (20 and 0.5 mu g/ml, respectively) agglutinate rabbit and rat erythrocytes, while dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine is not hemagglutinating up to 0.5 mg/ml. Palmitic acid is not a hemagglutinin and dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid is a very poor one. A polar lipid fraction obtained from calf thymocytes and a commercial preparation of gangliosides also exhibit pronounced hemagglutinating activity. Modification of the erythrocytes by either trypsin or neuraminidase causes a marked increase in agglutination only with oleic acid, whereas glutaraldehyde fixation of the cells significantly decreases agglutination with oleic acid, dioleoyl phosphatidic acid and calf thymocyte lipids. None of the lipids tested agglutinate freshly drawn human and sheep erythrocytes, but agglutination occurs following fixation of the sheep cells with glutaraldehyde. Lipid-mediated hemagglutination is strongly inhibited by fetuin and bovine submaxillary mucin (0.5 mg/ml). Defatted bovine serum albumin, also at 0.5 mg/ml, inhibits agglutination by oleic acid, whereas agglutination by other lipids is only poorly inhibited if at all. Monosaccharides at concentration up to 0.25 M do not inhibit the hemagglutinating activity of the lipids. Comparison of the hemagglutinating properties of lipids and lectins raises the possibility that the agglutinating activity of crude biological extracts which is not inhibited by mono- or oligosaccharides may be due to lipid constituents. Since agglutination by lipids is species specific, they may serve as mediators in intercellular recognition. The mechanism of lipid-mediated hemagglutination is discussed in terms of current concepts of the fusogenic activity of these compounds.

Hydrophobicity of lectins. I. The hydrophobic character of concanavalin A

The hydrophobicity of Concanavalin A has been estimated by its tendency to adsorb to hydrophobic adsorbents. Experiments varying temperature, salt concentration and hydrophobicity of the absorbent were consistent with accepted criteria of hydrophobic interaction between biomolecules and hydrophobic ligands. The biological significance of the hydrophobic character of Concanavalin A is also discussed.