The amino acid sequence of Erythrina corallodendron lectin and its homology with other legume lectins

Essential oil extracted from erythrina corallodendron L. leaves inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells

Erythrina corallodendron L., a kind of landscape tree, has long been used as a traditional medicine. In this study, the composition of essential oil extracted from the leaves was analysed by GC-MS (gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer), with linalool identified as the main compound. Its cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and HMLE cells was examined by MTT and cloning assays. Transwell and wound-healing assays were used to examine the inhibition of migration and invasion. Western blot, qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression of factors related to EMT (snail, slug, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin). The essential oil of Erythrina corallodendron leaves was found to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The findings of this study suggest that the essential oil of E. corallodendron leaves may merit further investigation as a potential clinical or adjuvant drug for treating breast cancer migration and invasion.

A novel oriented antibody immobilization based voltammetric immunosensor for allergenic activity detection of lectin in kidney bean by using AuNPs-PEI-MWCNTs modified electrode

As a well-known allergenic indicator in kidney beans, lectins have always been the serious threats for human health. Herein, we introduced a new label-free voltammetric immunosensor for the direct determination of kidney bean lectin (KBL) with potential allergenic activity. Gold nanoparticles-polyethyleneimine-multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite was one-pot synthesized and modified onto the glass carbon electrode to enhance catalytic currents of oxygen reduction reaction. The KBL polyclonal antibody, acquired from rabbit immunization, was orientedly immobilized on the electrode modified with recombinant staphylococcal protein A via fragment crystallizable (Fc) region of antibody. Under the optimized condition, the immunosensor displayed a good linear response (R² = 0.978) to KBL with a range from 0.05 to 100 μg/mL and a detection limit of 0.023 μg/mL. Simultaneously, the immunosensor exhibited well selectivity, interference-resistant ability, stability (4 °C) and reproducibility. Compared with the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, the immunosensor was successfully applied to quantify allergenic activity of lectin in raw and cooked (boiled for 30 min) kidney bean milk samples. This new approach provides new perspectives both for rapid quantification of lectin in kidney beans-derived foodstuffs and as a real-time monitoring tool for the allergenic potential during the whole production and consumption process.

Insight into Erythrina Lectins: Properties, Structure and Proposed Physiological Significance

The genus Erythrina, collectively known as “coral tree”, are pantropical plants, comprising of more than 112 species. Since the early 1980s, seven of these have been found to possess hemagglutinating activity, although not yet characterized. However, around two dozen galactose-binding lectins have been isolated and fully characterized with respect to their sugar specificity, glycoconjugates agglutination, dependence of activity on metal ions, primary and secondary structures and stability. Three lectins have been fully sequenced and the crystal structures of the two proteins have been solved with and without the haptenic sugar. Lectins isolation and characterization from most of these species usually originated from the seeds, although the proteins from other vegetative tissues have also been reported. The main objective of this review is to summarize the physicochemical and biological properties of the reported purified Erythrina lectins to date. Structural comparisons, based on available lectins sequences, are also made to relate the intrinsic physical and chemical properties of these proteins. Particular attention is also given to the proposed biological significance of the lectins from the genus Erythrina.

Role of glycosylation in structure and stability of Erythrina corallodendron lectin (EcorL): a molecular dynamics study

The effect of glycosylation on structure and stability of glycoproteins has been a topic of considerable interest. In this work, we have investigated the solution conformation of the oligosaccharide and its effect on the structure and stability of the glycoprotein by carrying out a series of long Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on glycosylated Erythrina corallodendron lectin (EcorL) and nonglycosylated recombinant Erythrina corallodendron lectin (rEcorL). Our results indicate that, despite the similarity in overall three dimensional structures, glycosylated EcorL has lesser nonpolar solvent accessible surface area compared to nonglycosylated EcorL. This might explain the experimental observation of higher thermodynamic stability for glycosylated EcorL compared to nonglycosylated EcorL. Analysis of the simulation results indicates that, dynamic view of interactions between protein residues and oligosaccharide is entirely different from the static picture seen in the crystal structure. The oligosaccharide moiety had dynamically stable interactions with Lys 55 and Tyr 53, both of which are separated in sequence from the site of glycosylation, Asn 17. It is possible that glycosylation helps in forming long-range contacts between amino acids, which are separated in sequence and thus provides a folding nucleus. Thus our simulations not only reveal the conformations sampled by the oligosaccharide, but also provide novel insights into possible molecular mechanisms by which glycosylation can help in folding of the glycoprotein by formation of folding nucleus involving specific contacts with the oligosaccharide moiety.

Probing genetic variation and glycoform distribution in lectins of the Erythrina genus by mass spectrometry

Six leguminous lectins from the seeds of plants of the Erythrina genus, namely E. caffra (ECafL), E. cristagalli (ECL), E. flabelliformis (EFL), E. lysistemon (ELysL), E. rubrinerva (ERL), and E. vespertilio (EVL), were examined to establish their sequence homology and to determine the structure and sites of attachment of their glycans. Tryptic digests of these lectins were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry (CE-ESMS). Assignments were made by comparing the molecular masses of the observed tryptic peptides with those of Erythrina corallodendron lectin (ECorL), the sequence of which had been established previously. Glycan structure and genetic variations in the amino acid sequence were probed by tandem mass spectrometry. Small differences were found between the sequences of the various lectins examined and all of them exhibited C-terminal processing resulting in proteins with a C-terminal Asn residue. The major glycan of these glycoproteins was shown to be the heptasaccharide Man(3)XylFucGlcNAc(2), consistent with previous investigations on ECL and ECorL. A minor glycan heterogeneity was observed for most lectins examined except for that of ECafL and ECorL where an extra hexose residue was observed on the reducing GlcNAc residue of the heptasaccharide.

Purification and characterization of complex carbohydrate specific isolectins from wild legume seeds: Acacia constricta is (vinorama) highly homologous to Phaseolus vulgaris lectins

Vinorama isolectins (VL2-VL4) were purified from seeds of Acacia constricta (vinorama) using affinity chromatography on a fetuin-fractogel column followed by cationic-exchange chromatography. Each isolectin fraction presented a characteristic isoelectric point range from 5.5 to 8.4. Under native conditions, VL containing fractions migrated as tetramers of 133 kDa, while in SDS-PAGE, in presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, a single subunit band with M(r) of 34 kDa was observed. VL was found to be a glycoprotein with a 7.5% neutral sugar content. Antibodies to Phaseolus vulgaris lectins PHA and other wild legume lectins as Olneya tesota (palo fierro) PF2 and PF3, and Parkinsonia aculeate (palo verde) PV reacted with VL, but not with anti Glycine max agglutinin SBA or anti Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin LTA. Furthermore, direct analysis of VL peptides showed sequences homologous to those reported in different lectins of the Phaseolus genus. VL2-VL4 did not have ABO serological or simple sugar specificity, but were inhibited by complex carbohydrates from fetuin and thyroglobulin. Asialofetuin carbohydrates strongly interacted with VL4 and VL3. Vinorama isolectins could be classified as "complex lectins".

Combined electron capture and infrared multiphoton dissociation for multistage MS/MS in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

We have mounted a permanent on-axis dispenser cathode electron source inside the magnet bore of a 9.4-T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. This configuration allows electron capture dissociation (ECD) to be performed reliably on a millisecond time scale. We have also implemented an off-axis laser geometry that enables simultaneous access to ECD and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD). Optimum performance of both fragmentation techniques is maintained. The analytical utility of performing either ECD or IRMPD on a given precursor ion population is demonstrated by structural characterization of several posttranslationally modified peptides: IRMPD of phosphorylated peptides results in few backbone (b- and y-type) cleavages, and product ion spectra are dominated by neutral loss of H3PO4. In contrast, ECD provides significantly more backbone (c- and z*-type) cleavages without loss of H3PO4. For N-glycosylated tryptic peptides, IRMPD causes extensive cleavage of the glycosidic bonds, providing structural information about the glycans. ECD cleaves all backbone bonds (except the N-terminal side of proline) in a 3-kDa glycopeptide with no saccharide loss. However, only a charge-reduced radical species and some side chain losses are observed following ECD of a 5-kDa glycopeptide from the same protein. An MS3 experiment involving IR laser irradiation of the charge-reduced species formed by electron capture results in extensive dissociation into c- and z-type fragment ions. Mass-selective external ion accumulation is essential for the structural characterization of these low-abundance (modified) peptides.

Purification, some properties of a D-galactose-binding leaf lectin from Erythrina indica and further characterization of seed lectin

Lectin from a leaf of Erythrina indica was isolated by affinity chromatography on Lactamyl-Seralose 4B. Lectin gave a single band in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). In SDS-gel electrophoresis under reducing and non-reducing conditions Erythrina indica leaf lectin (EiLL) split into two bands with subunit molecular weights of 30 and 33 kDa, whereas 58 kDa was obtained for the intact lectin by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. EiLL agglutinated all human RBC types, with a slight preference for the O blood group. Lectin was found to be a glycoprotein with a neutral sugar content of 9.5%. The carbohydrate specificity of lectin was directed towards D-galactose and its derivatives with pronounced preference for lactose. EiLL had pH optima at pH 7.0; above and below this pH lectin lost sugar-binding capability rapidly. Lectin showed broad temperature optima from 25 to 50 degrees C; however, at 55 degrees C EiLL lost more than 90% of its activity and at 60 degrees C it was totally inactivated. The pI of EiLL was found to be 7.6. The amino acid analysis of EiLL indicated that the lectin was rich in acidic as well as hydrophobic amino acids and totally lacked cysteine and methionine. The N-terminal amino acids were Val-Glu-Thr-IIe-Ser-Phe-Ser-Phe-Ser-Glu-Phe-Glu-Ala-Gly-Asn-Asp-X-Leu-Thr-Gln-Glu-Gly-Ala-Ala-Leu-. Chemical modification studies of both EiLL and Erythrina indica seed lectin (EiSL) with phenylglyoxal, DEP and DTNB revealed an absence of arginine, histidine and cysteine, respectively, in or near the ligand-binding site of both lectins. Modification of tyrosine with NAI led to partial inactivation of EiLL and EiSL; however, total inactivation was observed upon NBS-modification of two tryptophan residues in EiSL. Despite the apparent importance of these tryptophan residues for lectin activity they did not seem to have a direct role in binding haptenic sugar as D-galactose did not protect lectin from inactivation by NBS.

Differential expression of an alpha-galactosyl-containing trisaccharide on high- and low-malignant murine sarcoma cells: identification and regulation

Past studies have shown that carbohydrate residues reactive with the Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin B4 (GS I-B4) are present on the surface of highly-malignant murine sarcoma cells but are lacking or expressed in much lower amounts on the surface of low-malignant cells isolated from the same parent tumors (Am J Pathol 111: 27; J Nat Cancer Inst 71: 1281). In the present study it is shown that an antibody which recognizes the trisaccharide Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc- is reactive with the highly-malignant cells but is non-reactive with the low-malignant cells. Further studies show that the high-malignant cells not only bind GS 1-B4 but also bind Evonymus europaea lectin (which like GS I-B4 recognizes terminal galactose in alpha1-3 linkage) and Erythina crystagalli lectin (which recognizes sub-terminal galactose in the beta1-4 linkage--e.g., Galbeta1-4GlcNAc). In contrast, the low malignant cells bind Erythina crystagalli lectin as efficiently as the high malignant cells but do not bind (or bind much smaller amounts of) either GS I-B4 or Evonymus europaea lectin. The present studies also show that there is no significant difference between high- and low-malignant cells in expression of alpha-galactosidase activity. In contrast, the high-malignant cells express high levels of alpha-galactosyl transferase activity while this enzyme is virtually undetectable in low-malignant cells. Taken together, these studies indicate that differential expression of a single monosaccharide residue distinguishes high- and low-malignant murine sarcoma cells. These studies also identify a mechanism to account for surface carbohydrate differences between the high- and low-malignant cells.

Electron capture dissociation and infrared multiphoton dissociation MS/MS of an N-glycosylated tryptic peptic to yield complementary sequence information

Glycoproteins are a functionally important class of biomolecules for which structural elucidation presents a challenge. Fragmentation of N-glycosylated peptides, employing collisionally activated dissociation, typically yields product ions that result from dissociation at glycosidic bonds, with little occurrence of dissociation at peptide backbone sites. We have applied two dissociation techniques, electron capture dissociation (ECD) and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD), in a 7-T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, in the investigation of an N-glycosylated peptide from an unfractionated tryptic digest of the lectin of the coral tree, Erythrina corallodendron. ECD provided c and z. ions derived from the peptide backbone, with no observed loss of sugars. Cleavage at 11 of 15 backbone amine bonds was observed. The lack of cleavage at sites located close to the glycosylated asparagine residue may result from steric blocking by the glycan. IRMPD provided abundant fragment ions, primarily through dissociation at glycosidic linkages. The monosaccharide composition and the presence of three glycan branch sites could be determined from the IRMPD fragments. The two types of spectra, obtained with the same instrument, thus provide complementary structural information about the glycopeptide. The current result extends the applicability of ECD for glycopeptide analysis to N-glycosylated peptides and to peptides containing branched, highly substituted glycans.

Isolation and characterization of a mannan-binding lectin from the freshwater cyanobacterium (blue-green algae) Microcystis viridis

Microcystis viridis NIES-102 strain, a unicellular freshwater bloom-forming cyanobacterium, showed transient hemagglutinating activity in laboratory culture during stationary phase under nonaeration conditions. However, the hemagglutinating activity which was inhibited with yeast mannan could not be observed during culture with aeration. A mannan-binding lectin named MVL was isolated with the assay of the hemagglutinating activity against rabbit erythrocytes from the cyanobacterium by successive hydrophobic and gel filtration chromatography. MVL was composed of a single polypeptide of 13 kDa. The gene (mvl) for MVL was cloned from a genomic DNA of NIES-102 strain as a template, and its sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that MVL consisted of 113 amino acid residues and was composed of two tandemly repeated homologous domains of 54 amino acid residues. MVL showed no sequence homology to any other lectins or proteins.

Amino acid sequence and three-dimensional structure of the Tn-specific isolectin B4 from Vicia villosa

The partial amino acid sequence of the tetrameric isolectin B4 from Vicia villosa seeds has been determined by peptide analysis, and its three-dimensional structure solved by molecular replacement techniques and refined at 2.9 A resolution to a crystallographic R-factor of 21%. Each subunit displays the thirteen-stranded beta-barrel topology characteristic of legume lectins. The amino acid residues involved in metal- and sugar-binding are similar to those of other GalNAc-specific lectins, indicating that residues outside the carbohydrate-binding pocket modulate the affinity for the Tn glycopeptide. Isolectin B4 displays an unusual quaternary structure, probably due to protein glycosylation.

Purification and characterization of a lectin from the seeds of Erythrina costaricensis

This work compares three methods used for the purification of the lectin of Erythrina costaricensis and presents new data regarding its physicochemical properties and N-terminal sequence. The lectin was isolated from the seeds of Erythrina costaricensis using O-alpha-D galactosyl polyacrylamide, galactose-derivatized Sepharose and ConA-Sepharose as affinity chromatography supports. The lectin content is about 110 mg/100 g dry flour. The protein agglutinates human and rabbit erythrocytes; other animal erythrocytes were not agglutinated. The agglutination is inhibited by galactosyl moieties, p-nitrophenyl-beta-galactoside being the strongest inhibitor. The lectin is a dimeric protein (56 kDa) with identical subunits, each with a mol. wt of 27.2 kDa. The lectin is a glycoprotein with 3.6% neutral sugars. The amino acid content shows a high proportion of acidic and hydroxy residues; cysteine is absent and there are 6 methionines/mol protein. The N-terminal sequence is similar to those of Erythrina lectins; Ala is the N-terminal amino acid. In summary this paper reports the isolation of a lectin which shares many structural and functional properties with other Erythrina lectins. However, differences in some of its characteristics (pI, interactions with animal erythrocytes, mitogenic ability) indicate some distinctions in structure amongst this group of proteins.

C-terminal post-translational proteolysis of plant lectins and their recombinant forms expressed in Escherichia coli. Characterization of "ragged ends" by mass spectrometry

Electrospray mass spectrometry was used to accurately measure the molecular masses of single chain lectins from legume seeds and also of three recombinant lectins, expressed in Escherichia coli. The five single chain lectins, Erythrina corallodendron lectin, soybean and peanut agglutinins, Dolichos biflorus lectin, and Phaseolus vulgaris hemagglutinin E, all showed evidence of C-terminal proteolytic processing, in some cases to "ragged" ends, when their masses were compared to those expected from their cDNA sequences and their known carbohydrate chains. Recombinant forms of the lectins from E. corallodendron, soybean, and peanut also showed C-terminal trimming, but not to the same points as the natural forms. Discrepancies between the protein and cDNA sequences of the E. corallodendron lectin were resolved by combined liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry peptide mapping and protein sequencing experiments, and the presence of a second glycosylation site was demonstrated. Our data show that all of these lectins undergo C-terminal proteolytic processing of a readily attacked peptide segment. This trimming is frequently imprecise, and the resulting heterogeneity may be a major contributor to the appearance of isolectin forms of these proteins.

Modification by site-directed mutagenesis of the specificity of Erythrina corallodendron lectin for galactose derivatives with bulky substituents at C-2

Examination of the three-dimensional structure of Erythrina corallodendron lectin (ECorL) in complex with a ligand (lactose), the first of its kind for a Gal/GalNAc-specific lectin [(1991) Science 254, 862-866], revealed the presence of a hydrophobic cavity, surrounded by Tyr108 and Pro134-Trp135, which can accommodate bulky substituents such as acetamido or dansylamido (NDns) at C-2 of the lectin-bound galactose. Comparison of the primary sequence of ECorL with that of soybean agglutinin, specific for galactose and its C-2 substituted derivatives, and of peanut agglutinin, specific for galactose only, showed that in soybean agglutinin, Tyr108 is retained, and Pro134-Trp135 is replaced by Ser-Trp, whereas in peanut agglutinin, the former residue is replaced by Thr and the dipeptide by Ser-Glu- Tyr-Asn. Three mutants of ECorL were therefore constructed: L2, in which Pro134-Trp135 was replaced by Ser-Glu-Tyr-Asn; Y108T, in which Tyr108 was replaced by Thr and the double mutant L2; Y108T. They were expressed in Escherichia coli, as done for recombinant ECorL [(1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 205, 575-581]. The mutants had the same hemagglutinating activity as native or rECorL. Their specificity for galactose, GalNAc and Me beta GalNDns was examined by inhibition of hemagglutination and of the binding of the lectin to immobilized asialofetuin; in addition, their association constants with Me alpha GalNDns and Me beta GalNDns were measured by spectrofluorimetric titration. The results showed that Y108T had essentially similar specificity as the native and recombinant lectins. The affinity of L2 and L2;Y108T for galactose was also the same as ECorL, but they had a lower affinity for GalNAc and markedly diminished affinity for the dansyl sugars (up to 43 times, or 2 kcal, less). This appears to be largely due to steric hindrance by the two additional amino acids present in the cavity region in these mutants. Our findings also provide an explanation for the inability of PNA to accommodate C-2-substituted galactose derivatives at its primary subsite.

Analysis of sequence variation among legume lectins. A ring of hypervariable residues forms the perimeter of the carbohydrate-binding site

Twelve plant lectins from the Papilionoideae subfamily were selected to represent a range of carbohydrate specificities, and their sequences were aligned. Two variability indices were applied to the aligned sequences and the results were analysed using the three-dimensional structures of concanavalin A and the pea lectin. The areas of greatest variability were located in the carbohydrate-binding site region, forming a perimeter around a well-conserved core. These residues are inferred to be specificity determining, in the manner of antibodies, and the most variable position corresponded to Tyr100 in concanavalin A, a known ligand contact residue. In addition to the five peptide loops known to form the binding site from crystallographic studies, a sixth segment with variable residues was located in the binding-site region, and this may contribute to oligosaccharide specificity. In their overall composition, the lectin sites resemble those of the sugar-transport proteins rather than antibodies. The prospects for modelling lectin binding sites by the methods used for antibodies were also assessed.

Histochemical analysis of rat testicular glycoconjugates. 2. Beta-galactosyl residues in O- and N-linked glycans in seminiferous tubules

Rat testes have been examined with a panel of lectins that bind specifically to oligosaccharide sequences having terminal or subterminal beta-galactosyl residues in O-linked glycans, or in the outer chains of complex N-linked glycans: Arachis hypogaea (peanut, AHA), Erythrina cristagalli (coral tree, ECA), Ricinus communis (castor bean, RCA120) and Abrus precatorius (jequirity bean, APA) agglutinins. Pretreatment of sections with neuraminidase, beta-galactosidase and removal of alkali-labile O-linked sequences by beta-elimination allowed the structure of these glycans to be further explored. In spermatogonia and spermatocytes there was little evidence of glycans terminating in beta-galactosyl residues, although these were present at non-reducing terminals as sialylgalactosides. The acrosome contained two subsets of O-linked glycans terminating in sialylgalactosides, while the nuclear cap showed at least two subsets of N-linked sialylgalactosyl as well as O-linked glycans. Spermatozoa exhibited minor changes in the pattern of glycosylation, although the overall pattern of beta-galactosyl expression was similar. Binding to Sertoli cells showed the presence of some unsubstituted beta-galactosyl terminals on O-linked glycans but few such N-linked residues, while terminal beta-galactosides were scanty in tubular basement membranes.

Expression of Erythrina corallodendron lectin in Escherichia coli

The cDNA of the Erythrina corallodendron lectin (ECorL) has been expressed in Escherichia coli. For this purpose, an NcoI site was inserted into the cDNA coding for the lectin precursor [Arango, R., Rozenblatt, S. & Sharon, N. (1990) FEBS Lett. 264, 109-112] immediately before the codon GTG (103-105) which codes for the N-terminal valine of the mature lectin. This introduced an ATG codon for a methionine preceding the valine. The mutated cDNA was ligated into pUC-8, then subcloned into the expression vector pET-3d, which carries a strong promoter derived from gene 10 of the phage T7. The recombinant plasmid was introduced into the E. coli lysogenic strain BL21(DE3). Recombinant ECorL was expressed by growing the bacteria in the presence of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. Most of the recombinant lectin was found in an insoluble aggregated form as inclusion bodies and only a small part was in the culture medium in a soluble active form. Functional recombinant lectin was recovered from the inclusion bodies by solubilization with 6 M urea in cyclohexylaminopropane sulfonate pH 10.5, renaturation by 10-fold dilution in the same buffer and further adjustment of the pH to 8.0. The recombinant lectin, obtained at a yield of 4-7 mg/l culture, had, by gel filtration, a slightly lower molecular mass (56 kDa) than the native lectin, and was devoid of covalently linked carbohydrate; it was, however, essentially indistinguishable from native ECorL by other criteria, including its dimeric structure, Western blot analysis with anti-ECorL polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, and Ouchterlony double-diffusion analysis with polyclonal antibodies, as well as hemagglutinating activity and specificity for mono- or disaccharides.

Recognition of the oligosaccharide and protein moieties of glycoproteins by the UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase

It was found, in cell-free assays, that the Man8GlcNAc2 and Man7GlcNAc2 isomers having the mannose unit to which the glucose is added were glucosylated by the rat liver glucosyltransferase at 50 and 15%, respectively, of the rate of Man9GlcNAc2 glucosylation. This indicates that processing by endoplasmic reticulum mannosidases decreases the extent of glycoprotein glucosylation. All five different glycoproteins tested (bovine and porcine thyroglobulins, phytohemagglutinin, soybean agglutinin, and bovine pancreas ribonuclease B) were found to be poorly glucosylated or not glucosylated unless they were subjected to treatments that modified their native conformations. The effect of denaturation was not to expose the oligosaccharides but to make protein determinants, required for enzymatic activity, accessible to the glucosyltransferase because (a) cleavage of denatured glycoproteins by unspecific (Pronase) or specific (trypsin) proteases abolished their glucose acceptor capacities almost completely except when the tryptic peptides were held together by disulfide bonds and (b) high mannose oligosaccharides in native glycoproteins, although poorly glucosylated or not glucosylated, were accessible to macromolecular probes as concanavalin A-Sepharose, endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, and jack bean alpha-mannosidase. In addition, denatured, endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H deglycosylated glycoproteins were found to be potent inhibitors of the glucosylation of denatured glycoproteins. It is suggested that in vivo only unfolded, partially folded, and malfolded glycoproteins are glucosylated and that glucosylation stops upon adoption of the correct conformation, a process that hides the protein determinants (possibly hydrophobic amino acids) from the glucosyltransferase.

Structure of a legume lectin with an ordered N-linked carbohydrate in complex with lactose

The three-dimensional structure of the lactose complex of the Erythrina corallodendron lectin (EcorL), a dimer of N-glycosylated subunits, was determined crystallographically and refined at 2.0 angstrom resolution to an R value of 0.19. The tertiary structure of the subunit is similar to that of other legume lectins, but interference by the bulky N-linked heptasaccharide, which is exceptionally well ordered in the crystal, forces the EcorL dimer into a drastically different quaternary structure. Only the galactose moiety of the lactose ligand resides within the combining site. The galactose moiety is oriented differently from ligands in the mannose-glucose specific legume lectins and is held by hydrophobic interactions with Ala88, Tyr106, Phe131, and Ala218 and by seven hydrogen bonds, four of which are to the conserved Asp89, Asn133, and NH of Gly107. The specificity of legume lectins toward the different C-4 epimers appears to be associated with extensive variations in the outline of the variable parts of the binding sites.

Purification and characterization of a carbohydrate-binding peptide from Bauhinia purpurea lectin

In order to examine the correlation between the amino acid sequence and sugar binding specificity of Bauhinia purpurea lectin (BPA), a galactose and lactose binding lectin, a peptide which interacts with lactose was purified from an Asp-N endoproteinase digest of BPA by means of affinity chromatography on a column of lactose-Sepharose. The amino acid sequence of this peptide is Asp-Thr-Trp-Pro-Asn-Thr-Glu-Trp-Ser. A tryptic fragment having the ability to interact with lactose was also purified and found to contain the above sequence, consisting of 9 amino acids. The chemical synthesis of this peptide was carried out by the solid-phase method and the synthetic peptide was found to exhibit lactose binding activity in the presence of calcium.

Cloning and sequence analysis of the Erythrina corallodendron lectin cDNA

Examination of the hemagglutinating activity of extracts from seeds of Erythrina corallodendron at various maturation stages revealed that the level of lectin increases markedly past mid-maturation. Seeds at this stage of maturation served as a source of mRNA for the construction of an expression cDNA library in the vector lambda Zap, which generates fusion proteins with an N-terminal portion of beta-galactosidase. The library was screened with rabbit polyclonal anti-ECorL antiserum. Four immunopositive clones were isolated. Western blot analysis of cell extracts from one of the clones (pIEcL-B) showed a 36 kDa protein that reacted with the antiserum, as well as with a mouse monoclonal antibody raised against the lectin. DNA sequence analysis by the chain termination method revealed that clone pIEcl-C has an insert of 1017 bp with the entire coding sequence of ECorL, beginning with an initiation codon ATG at position 26 and ending with stop codon TAA at position 868. This fragment encodes a polypeptide of 281 amino acids consisting of a signal leader sequence of 25 amino acids and a mature protein of 256 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence from this fragment is identical to the sequence of the first 244 amino acids of ECorL, as determined at the protein level, except at 7 positions.