Purification and characterization of a Cytisus-type Ulex europeus hemagglutinin II by affinity chromatography

A putative carbohydrate-binding domain of the lactose-binding Cytisus sessilifolius anti-H(O) lectin has a similar amino acid sequence to that of the L-fucose-binding Ulex europaeus anti-H(O) lectin

The complete amino acid sequence of a lactose-binding Cytisus sessilifolius anti-H(O) lectin II (CSA-II) was determined using a protein sequencer. After digestion of CSA-II with endoproteinase Lys-C or Asp-N, the resulting peptides were purified by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and then subjected to sequence analysis. Comparison of the complete amino acid sequence of CSA-II with the sequences of other leguminous seed lectins revealed regions of extensive homology. The amino acid sequence of a putative carbohydrate-binding domain of CSA-II was found to be similar to those of several anti-H(O) leguminous lectins, especially to that of the L-fucose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin I (UEA-I).

Correlation between carbohydrate-binding specificity and amino acid sequence of carbohydrate-binding regions of Cytisus-type anti-H(O) lectins

A carbohydrate-binding peptide of the di-N-acetylchitobiose-binding Cytisus sessilifolius anti-H(O) lectin I (CSA-I) was isolated from the endoproteinase Asp-N digest of CSA-I by affinity chromatography on a column of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine oligomer-Sepharose (GlcNAc oligomer-Sepharose). The amino acid sequence of the carbohydrate-binding peptide of CSA-I was determined to be DTYFGKTYNPW using a gas-phase protein sequencer. This sequence corresponds to the sequence from Asp-129 to Trp-139 based on the primary structure of CSA-I, and shows a high degree of homology to those of the putative carbohydrate-binding peptide of the Laburnum alpinum lectin I (LAA-I) (DTYFGKAYNPW) and of the Ulex europaeus lectin II (UEA-II) (DSYFGKTYNPW). The binding of these three anti-H(O) lectins is known to be inhibited by di-N-acetylchitobiose but not by L-fucose. These results strongly suggest that there is a good correlation between the carbohydrate-binding specificity and the amino acid sequence of the carbohydrate-binding regions of di-N-acetylchitobiose-binding lectins.

Purification and characterization of carbohydrate-binding peptides from Lotus tetragonolobus and Ulex europeus seed lectins using affinity chromatography

Carbohydrate-binding peptides of several anti-H(O) leguminous lectins were obtained from endoproteinase Asp-N or Lys-C digests of L-fucose-binding Lotus tetragonolobus lectin (LTA) and Ulex europeus lectin I (UEA-I) and from that of a di-N-acetylchitobiose-binding Ulex europeus lectin II (UEA-II) by affinity chromatography on columns of Fuc-Gel (for LTA and UEA-I) and on a column of a mixture of several oligomers of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) coupled to Sepharose 4B (GlcNAc oligomer-Sepharose 4B) (for UEA-II). These peptides were retained on the Fuc-Gel or GlcNAc oligomer-Sepharose 4B column and were presumed to have an affinity for the columns. The amino acid sequences of the retarded peptides were determined using a protein sequencer.

Purification and characterization of two types of Cytisus sessilifolius anti-H(O) lectins by affinity chromatography

Two anti-H(O) lectins were separated from extracts of Cytisus sessilifolius seeds by successive affinity chromatographies on columns of di-N-acetylchitobiose- and galactose-Sepharose 4B. One was found to be inhibited most by di-N-acetylchitotriose or tri-N-acetylchitotriose [Cytisus-type anti-H(O) lectin designated as Cytisus sessilifolius lectin I (CSA-I)] and the other anti-H(O) lectin was inhibited by galactose or lactose and designated as Cytisus sessilifolius lectin II (CSA-II). These two anti-H(O) lectins were further purified by gel filtration on TSK-Gel G3000SW. These preparations were homogeneous as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration. The molecular masses of the purified lectins I and II were found to be 95,000 and 68,000 Da, respectively, by gel filtration on TSK-Gel G3000SW. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and 2-mercaptoethanol, both lectins gave a single component of molecular masses of 27,000 +/- 2,000 and 34,000 +/- 2,000 Da, respectively, suggesting that the lectins I and II were composed of four and two apparently identical subunits, respectively. Lectins I and II contain 38% and 13% carbohydrate, respectively, and only very small amounts of cysteine and methionine, but they are rich in aspartic acid, serine and glycine. The N-terminal amino-acid sequences of these two lectins were determined and compared with those of several lectins already published.

Purification and characterization of a new type lactose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin by affinity chromatography

A new type lactose-binding lectin was purified from extracts of Ulex europaeus seeds by affinity chromatography on a column of galactose-Sepharose 4B, followed by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300. This lectin, designated as Ulex europaeus lectin III (UEA-III), was found to be inhibited by lactose. The dimeric lectin is a glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 70,000 Da; it consists of two apparently identical subunits of a molecular mass of 34,000 Da. Compositional analysis showed that this lectin contains 30% carbohydrate and a large amount of aspartic acid, serine and valine, but no sulfur-containing amino acids. The N-terminal amino-acid sequences of L-fucose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin I (UEA-I) and di-N-acetylchitobiose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin II (UEA-II), both of which we have already purified and characterized, and that of UEA-III were determined and compared.

Fractionation of human milk oligosaccharides by high-performance liquid chromatography

An ion-exchange chromatographic system was used to isolate several human milk oligosaccharides, the elution being carried out with a linear gradient of a sodium borate buffer. Lacto-N-tetraose, lacto-N-neotetraose, lacto-N-fucopentaose I, II and III, lacto-N-difucohexaose I and 2'-alpha-fucosyllactose can be separated by this method.