Isolation and partial characterization of a D-galactose-binding lectin from the latex of Synadenium carinatum

Abstract

A lectin from the latex of Synadenium carinatum was purified by affinity chromatography on immobilized-D-galactose-agarose and shown to be a potent agglutinin of human erythrocytes. The haemagglutination of human red cells was inhibited by 3.0 mM N-acetyl-D-galactopyranoside, 6.3 mM methyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside, 50 mM methyl-alpha-D-galactopyranoside and 50 mM D-fucose but not by L-fucose, demonstrating an anomeric and a conformational specificity. According to SDS-PAGE analysis, the lectin appeared to be a glycoprotein composed of two polypeptide chains of ca. 28 and 30 kDa, but size exclusion chromatography (Sephadex G-100) and native PAGE revealed a protein of apparent molecular weight 120 - 130 kDa made up of 28 and 30 kDa subunits. The lectin was stable in the range pH 6 - 9, and 4 - 56ºC. The N-terminal sequence of the 30 kDa subunit contained the conserved consensus sequence GPN observed in other D-galactose-binding lectins found in latex of members of the Euphorbiaceae.