A lectin from Bryonia dioica root stocks

An N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectin has been isolated from root stocks of Bryonia dioica by affinity chromatography on fetuin-agarose. It is a dimeric protein composed of two different subunits of relative molecular masses 32,000 and 30,000, held together by intermolecular disulphide bonds. Although most abundant in root stocks, the lectin occurs in all vegetative parts of the plant but not in seeds. Bryony lectin differs from other Cucurbitaceae lectins and from all known N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectins.Abbreviations BDA Bryonia dioica agglutinin - M_r relative molecular mass - PBS phosphate-buffered saline - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis