Favin, a crystalline lectin from Vicia faba

A lectin from the fava bean (Vicia faba) has been purified and crystallized in a form suitable for high-resolution crystallographic structure analysis. This protein binds glucose- and mannose-like saccharides, and it is mitogenic for lymphocytes. The fava lectin crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group. P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensions $\text{a = 90.0, b = 89.3,}\text{and}\text{c = 67.4}\text{A}\text{?}$. The mass of protein in the asymmetric unit is 53,000 daltons, corresponding to the molecular weight of the protein in solution.