Immunological cross-reactivity between beta-galactoside-binding lectins of vertebrates. Possible relationship of antigenicity to oligomeric structure

Structural relationships among five beta-galactoside-binding lectins isolated from human, mouse and chick were studied using immunochemical methods. The lectins examined were human placenta lectin with a 14-kDa subunit (human 14K lectin), two types of mouse lectin (mouse 15K and mouse 16K lectin), and two types of chick lectin (chick 14K and chick 16K lectin). Five polyclonal antibodies raised against these lectins were used. Antibody to human 14K lectin cross-reacted with mouse 15K and chick 14K lectins. Antibodies to both mouse 15K and chick 14K lectins cross-reacted with human 14K and chick 16K lectins. Antibody to chick 16K lectin cross-reacted with mouse 15K lectin. An immunological relationship was not found between human 14K and chick 16K lectins, or between mouse 15K and chick 14K lectins. Mouse 16K lectin did not show any immunological relationship with any of the other lectins. A monoclonal antibody raised against chick 14K lectin cross-reacted with chick 16K lectin. These results cannot be explained simply in terms of phylogenic distance but suggest that vertebrate beta-galactoside-binding lectins can be classified into two structural groups on the basis of their antigenicities. One group, which is characterized as a monomer type, includes human 14K and chick 14K lectins. The other group, which is characterized as a dimer type, includes mouse 15K and chick 16K lectins.     

Effects of lectins with different carbohydrate-binding specificities on hepatoma, choriocarcinoma, melanoma and osteosarcoma cell lines

The effects of lectins with different carbohydrate-binding specificities on human hepatoma (H3B), human choriocarcinoma (JAr), mouse melanoma (B16) and rat osteosarcoma (ROS) cell lines were investigated. Cell viability was estimated by uptake of crystal violet. Wheat germ lectin was the lectin with the most deleterious effect on the viability of H3B, JAr and ROS cell lines. The cytotoxicity of lectins with similar sugar-binding specificity to wheat germ lectin, including Maackia amurensis lectin and Solanum tuberosum lectin, was weaker than that of wheat germ lectin. N-acetylgalactosamine-and galactose-binding Tricholoma mongolicum lectin ranked third, after wheat germ lectin and Maackia amurensis lectin, with regard to its effect on H3B, and ranked, together with Maackia amurensis lectin, as the lectins with the second most pronounced effects on ROS. However, the cytotoxic effects of Tricholoma mongolicum lectin on JAr were much weaker than those of Maackia amurensis lectin, Solanum tuberosum lectin and Anguilla anguilla lectin. Artocarpus integrifolia lectin, Lens culinaris lectin and Anguilla anguilla lectin possessed milder cytotoxicity than the remaining lectins. which were approximately equipotent. The mannose-binding Narcissus pseudonarcissus and Lens culinaris lectins were only weakly cytotoxic, the exception being a stronger effect on H3B. The N-acetylgalactosamine-binding Glycine max lectin and methylgalactose-binding Artocarpus integrifolia lectin similarly exhibited low cytotoxicity. It can thus be concluded that in general the ranking was wheat germ lectin > Maackia amurensis lectin approximately Trichloma mongolicum lectins > other aforementioned lectins in cytotoxicity. A particular lectin may manifest more conspicuous toxicity on certain cell lines and less on others.     

Screening for and purification of novel self-aggregatable lectins reveal a new functional lectin group in the bark of leguminous trees

A solubility-insolubility transition assay was used to screen the bark and stems of seven leguminous trees and plants for self-aggregatable lectins. Novel lectins were found in two trees, Robinia pseudoacacia and Wisteria floribunda, but not in the leguminous plants. The Robinia lectin was isolated from coexisting lectin by combined affinity chromatographies on various sugar adsorbents. The purified lectins proved to be differently glycosylated glycoproteins. One lectin exhibited the remarkable characteristics of self-aggregatable lectins: localization in the bark of legume trees, self-aggregation dissociated by N-acetylglucosamine/mannose, and coexistence with N-acetylgalactosamine/galactose-specific lectins, which are potential endogenous receptors. Self-aggregatable lectins are a functional lectin group that can link enhanced photosynthesis to dissociation of glycoproteins.     

A new type of cereal lectin from leaves of couch grass (Agropyrum repens)

Extracts from couch grass (Agropyrum repens) leaves contain relatively high lectin concentrations. Preliminary experiments with crude extracts indicated that the leaf lectin differs from the embryo lectin of the same species and other Gramineae embryo lectins with respect to its sugar and blood group specificity, and serological properties. A comparison of the biochemical, physicochemical and biological properties of purified lectins from couch grass leaves and embryos, and wheat germ agglutinin revealed that the leaf lectin has the same molecular structure as the embryo lectins. It is a dimer composed of two identical subunits, which, however, are slightly larger than embryo lectin subunits. Structural differences between both couch grass lectins were further inferred from in vitro subunit exchange experiments and serological analyses. Whereas the embryo lectin readily forms heterodimers with embryo lectins from other cereal species and also is serologically indistinguishable from them, the leaf lectin does not exchange subunits with the same embryo lectins and is serologically different. In addition, couch grass leaf lectin exhibits specificity for N-acetylgalactosamine and agglutinates preferentially blood-group-A erythrocytes whereas the embryo lectin is not inhibited by N-acetylgalactosamine and exhibits no blood-group specificity. It was observed also that the lectin content of couch grass leaves varies enormously during the seasons.     

Fractionation of lymphocytes using affinity chromatography with 9 lectins

Lymphocyte subclasses from normal peripheral blood have been fractionated by affinity chromatography with lectins. Concanavalin A (Con A), Lens culinaris lectin (LC), Pisum sativum lectin (PS), Phaseolus vulgaris lectin (PHA), Dolichos biflours lectin (DB), Glicine max lectin (SBA), Ricinus communis lectin (RCA II), Tetragonolobus purpureus lectin (TP) and Triticum vulgaris lectin (WGA), were coupled to Sepharose 6MB, and lymphocytes labelled with 125I were eluted through the chromatographic columns. The binding of lymphocytes to WGA and SBA lectins was 32% and 13% respectively. The binding to the other lectins tested were found to be between 32% and 13%. When solutions of increasing concentrations of specific sugar were added to the columns a progressive elution of bound lymphocytes was observed. These results indicate the existence of a large range of lymphocyte subclasses, with different binding capacity to lectins, which was a function of the receptor number or/and receptor affinity to each lectin. Furthermore, these two parameters were found to vary in each functional population. Even though all the lymphocytes had lectin receptors, T lymphocytes showed higher affinity for Con A, PHA and TP lectins, while B lymphocytes appeared to be more specific for LC, PS, SBA, DB, RCAII and WGA lectins.     

Isolation,characterization and molecular cloning of a leaf-specific lectin from ramsons (Allium ursinum L.).

Lectins were isolated from roots and leaves of ramsons and compared to the previously described bulb lectins. Biochemical analyses indicated that the root lectins AUAIr and AUAIIr are identical to the bulb lectins AUAI and AUAII, whereas the leaf lectin AUAL has no counterpart in the bulbs. cDNA cloning confirmed that the leaf lectin differs from the bulb lectins. Northern blot analysis further indicated that the leaf lectin is tissue-specifically expressed. Sequence comparisons revealed that the ramsons leaf lectin differs considerably from the leaf lectins of garlic, leek, onion and shallot.     

Molecular cloning of the bark and seed lectins from the Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica)

cDNA clones encoding the bark and seed lectins from Sophora japonica were isolated and their sequences analyzed. Screening of a cDNA library constructed from polyA RNA isolated from the bark resulted in the isolation of three different lectin cDNA clones. The first clone encodes the GalNAc-specific bark lectin which was originally described by Hankins et al. whereas the other clones encode the two isoforms of the mannose/glucose-specific lectin reported by Ueno et al.. Molecular cloning of the seed lectin genes revealed that Sophora seeds contain only a GalNAc-specific lectin which is highly homologous to though not identical with the GalNAc-specific lectin from the bark. All lectin polypeptides are translated from mRNAs of ca. 1.3 kb encoding a precursor carrying a signal peptide. In the case of the mannose/glucose-specific bark lectins this precursor is post-translationally processed in two smaller peptides. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences of the different clones revealed striking sequence similarities between the mannose/glucose-binding and the GalNAc-specific lectins. Furthermore, there was a high degree of sequence homology with other legume lectins which allowed molecular modelling of the Sophora lectins using the coordinates of the Pisum sativum, Lathyrus ochrus and Erythrina corallodendron lectins.     

Molecular diversity of skin mucus lectins in fish

Among lectins in the skin mucus of fish, primary structures of four different types of lectin have been determined. Congerin from the conger eel Conger myriaster and AJL-1 from the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica were identified as galectin, characterized by its specific binding to β-galactoside. Eel has additionally a unique lectin, AJL-2, which has a highly conserved sequence of C-type lectins but displays Ca²⁺-independent activity. This is rational because the lectin exerts its function on the cutaneous surface, which is exposed to a Ca²⁺ scarce environment when the eel is in fresh water. The third type lectin is pufflectin, a mannose specific lectin in the skin mucus of pufferfish Takifugu rubripes. This lectin showed no sequence similarity with any known animal lectins but, surprisingly, shares sequence homology with mannose-binding lectins of monocotyledonous plants. The fourth lectin was found in the ponyfish Leiognathus nuchalis and exhibits homology with rhamnose-binding lectins known in eggs of some fish species. These lectins, except ponyfish lectin, showed agglutination of certain bacteria. In addition, pufflectin was found to bind to a parasitic trematode, Heterobothrium okamotoi. Taken together, these results demonstrate that skin mucus lectins in fish have wide molecular diversity.     

Isolation,characterization and molecular cloning of the mannose-binding lectins from leaves and roots of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Two novel lectins were isolated from roots and leaves of garlic. Characterization of the purified proteins indicated that the leaf lectin ASAL is a dimer of two identical subunits of 12 kDa, which closely resembles the leaf lectins from onion, leek and shallot with respect to its molecular structure and agglutination activity. In contrast, the root lectin ASARI, which is a dimer of subunits of 15 kDa, strongly differs from the leaf lectin with respect to its agglutination activity. cDNA cloning of the leaf and root lectins revealed that the deduced amino acid sequences of ASAL and ASARI are virtually identical. Since both lectins have identical N-terminal sequences the larger Mr of the ASARI subunits implies that the root lectin has an extra sequence at its C-terminus. These results not only demonstrate that virtually identical precursor polypeptides are differently processed at their C-terminus in roots and leaves but also indicate that differential processing yields mature lectins with strongly different biological activities. Further screening of the cDNA library for garlic roots also yielded a cDNA clone encoding a protein composed of two tandemly arrayed lectin domains. Since the presumed two-domain root lectin has not been isolated yet, its possible relationship to the previously described two-domain bulb lectin could not be studied at the protein level.     

Isolation and some properties of mammalian hepatic membrane lectins

Membrane lectins were isolated from sheep, goat, and buffalo liver by chromatography on an asialofetuin (ASF)-Sepharose 4B column. The lectins moved as a single protein band in SDS-PAGE with molecular masses of 42, 54 and 50 kDa, respectively, for sheep, goat and buffalo lectins. The molecular masses remained unchanged in 0.2 M 2-mercaptoethanol. As judged from the inhibition of binding of the lectin to ASF gel, the three lectins were beta-galactoside-specific. Sheep, goat and buffalo lectins were found to be sialoglycoproteins containing 18.6, 27 and 38.8 mol/mol lectin of neutral hexose, respectively; the corresponding values for the sialic acid content being 5.3, 8.7 and 11.8 mol/mol lectin. Thus goat and buffalo lectins are physico-chemically different from many mammalian hepatic lectins described so far.     

Cyborg lectins: novel leguminous lectins with unique specificities

Bauhinia purpurea lectin (BPA) is one of the beta-galactose-binding leguminous lectins. Leguminous lectins contain a long metal-binding loop, part of which determines their carbohydrate-binding specificities. Random mutations were introduced into a portion of the cDNA coding BPA that corresponds to the carbohydrate-binding loop of the lectin. An library of the mutant lectin expressed on the surface of lambda foo phages was screened by the panning method. Several phage clones with an affinity for mannose or N-acetylglucosamine were isolated. These results indicate the possibility of making artificial lectins (so-called "cyborg lectins") with distinct and desired carbohydrate-binding specificities.     

A simple strategy for the creation of a recombinant lectin microarray

Glycomics, i.e. the high-throughput analysis of carbohydrates, has yet to reach the level of ease and import of its counterparts, genomics and proteomics, due to the difficulties inherent in carbohydrate analysis. The advent of lectin microarray technology addresses many of these problems, providing a straightforward approach for glycomic analysis. However, current microarrays are limited to the available lectin set, which consists mainly of plant lectins isolated from natural sources. These lectins have inherent problems including inconsistent activity and availability. Also, many plant lectins are glycosylated, complicating glycomic evaluation of complex samples, which may contain carbohydrate-binding proteins. The creation of a recombinant, well-defined lectin set would resolve many of these issues. Herein, we describe an efficient strategy for the systematic creation of recombinant lectins for use in microarray technology. We present a small panel of simple-to-purify bacterially-derived lectins that show reliable activity and define their binding specificities by both carbohydrate microarray and ELISA. We utilize this panel to create a recombinant lectin microarray that is able to distinguish glycopatterns for both proteins and cell samples. This work opens the door to the establishment of a vast set of defined lectins via high-throughout approaches, advancing lectin microarray technology for glycomic analysis.     

Biosynthesis of lectin in roots of germinating and adult cereal plants

Root tips of wheat, rye, barley and rice seedlings contain lectins which are identical to the respective embryo lectins with respect to their molecular weight, sugar-specificity and serological properties. Using in vivo labelling techniques, it could be demonstrated that lectin is synthesized de novo in these tissues. The presence of lectin mRNA in seedlings was confirmed by in-vitro synthesis of lectin in root-tip extracts. Lectin synthesis occurs both in primary and first adventitious roots and is confined to the apical part (2mm) of the root. As seedling development proceeds, lectin synthesis in root tips gradually decreases. Adventitious roots of adult (five to six months old) wheat, rye and barley, but not rice, plants also contain lectins which are indistinguisable from the embryo lectins by the above-mentioned criteria. These lectins are synthesized in vivo in isolated root tips (5 mm) with labelled cysteine and in vitro in cell-free extracts prepared from root tips. Synthesis of lectin in roots of adult plants is also confined to the apical (2 mm) tip of the roots. At the molecular level, root lectin synthesis is very similar to that in embryos. All root lectins are synthesized as 23 000-M_r precursors which are post-translationally converted into the mature 18 000-M_r polypeptides. The observation that seedling roots and adventitious roots of six-month-old plants actively synthesize lectins strongly indicates that lectin genes are expressed in these tissues. In addition, since the root lectins are indistinguishable from the embryo lectins, we postulate that the same lectin genes are expressed.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - WGA wheat-germ agglutinin     

Purification, chemical, and immunochemical properties of a new lectin from Mimosoideae (Parkia discolor)

A glucose/mannose-binding lectin was isolated from seeds of Parkia discolor (Mimosoideae) using affinity chromatography on Sephadex G-100 gel. The protein presented a unique component in SDS-PAGE corresponding to a molecular mass of 58,000 Da, which is very similar to that of a closely related lectin from Parkia platycephala. Among the simple sugars tested, mannose was the best inhibitor, but biantennary glycans, containing the trimannoside core, present in N-glycoproteins, also seem to be powerful inhibitors of the haemagglutinating activity induced by the purified lectin. The protein was characterised by high content of glycine and proline and absence of cysteine. Rabbit antibodies, anti-P. platycephala seed lectin, recognised the P. discolor lectin. However, no cross-reaction was observed when a set of other legume lectins from sub-family Papilionoideae and others from families Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae were assayed with the Parkia lectins. This suggests that Parkia lectins comprise a new group of legume lectins exhibiting distinct characteristics.     

Carbohydrate-binding peptides from several anti-H(O) lectins.

Peptide fragments have been obtained from L-fucose-binding anti-H(O) lectins [Lotus tetragonolobus lectin (LTA) and Ulex europeus lectin I (UEA-I)] and di-N-acetylchitobiose-binding anti-H(O) lectins [Ulex europeus lectin II (UEA-II) and Laburnum alpinum lectin I (LAA-I)] by treatment with endoproteinase Asp-N or Lys-C. The peptide fragments were fractionated by affinity chromatography on a column of Fuc-Gel for LTA and UEA-I, and on a column of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine oligomer-Sepharose for UEA-II and LAA-I. The peptides with affinity for these columns were identified by peptide sequencing. All of these retarded peptides were found to be parts of the metal-binding regions of these lectins. It is strongly suggested that these peptides represent the carbohydrate-binding and metal ion-binding sites of legume lectins, respectively.     

Crystal structure of Dioclea rostrata lectin: insights into understanding the pH-dependent dimer-tetramer equilibrium and the structural basis for carbohydrate recognition in Diocleinae lectins

The legume lectins from the subtribe Diocleinae, often referred to as concanavalin A-like lectins, are a typical example of highly similar proteins that show distinct biological activities. The pH-dependent oligomerization that some of these lectins undergo and the relative position of amino acids within the carbohydrate-binding site are factors that have been reported to contribute to these differences in the activities of Diocleinae lectins. In the present work, we determined the amino acid sequence and the crystal structure of the lectin of Dioclea rostrata seeds (DRL), with the aim of investigating the structural bases of the different behavior displayed by this lectin in comparison to other Diocleinae lectins and determining the reason for the distinct pH-dependent dimer-tetramer equilibrium. In addition, we discovered a novel multimeric arrangement for this lectin.     

Differences in properties of peanut seed lectin and purified galactose- and mannose-binding lectins from nodules of peanut

Two lectins were purified by affinity chromatography from mature peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) nodules, and compared with the previously characterised seed lectin of this plant. One of the nodule lectins was similar to the seed lectin in its molecular weight and amino-acid composition and ability to bind derivatives of galactose. However, unlike the seed lectin, this nodule lectin appeared to be a glycoprotein and the two lectins were only partially identical in their reaction with antibodies prepared against the seed lectin. The other nodule lectin also appeared to be a glycoprotein but bound mannose/glucose-like sugar derivatives, and differed from the seed lectin in molecular weight, antigenic properties and amino-acid composition.Abbreviations Gal galactose - Gle glucose - GNL galactose-binding nodule lectin - Fru fructose - MNL mannosebinding nodule lectin - M _r rerative molecular mass - PBS phosphate-buffered saline - PSL peanut seed lectin - SDS sodium dodecyl sulphate - Sorb sorbitol     

Gold-conjugated arabinogalactan-protein and other lectins as ultrastructural probes for the wheat/stem rust complex

Arabinogalactan-protein (AGP, "beta-lectin") was isolated from leek seeds, tested for specificity, conjugated with gold colloids, and used as a cytochemical probe to detect beta-linked bound sugars in ultrathin sections of wheat leaves infected with a compatible race of stem rust fungus. Similar sections were probed with other gold-labeled lectins to detect specific sugars. AGP-gold detected beta-glycosyl in all fungal walls and in the extrahaustorial matrix. Other lectin gold conjugates localized galactose in all fungal walls except in walls of the haustorial body. Limulus polyphemus lectin bound only to the outermost layer of intercellular hyphal walls of the fungus. Binding of these lectins was inhibited by their appropriate haptens and was diminished or abolished in specimens pretreated with protease, indicating that the target substances in the tissue were proteinaceous or that polysaccharides possessing affinity to the lectin probes had been removed by the enzyme from a proteinaceous matrix by passive escape. Binding of Lotus tetragonolobus lectin was limited to the two outermost fungal wall layers but was not hapten-inhibitable. Limax flavus lectin, specific for sialic acids, had no affinity to any structure in the sections. In the fungus, the most complex structure was the outermost wall layer of intercellular hyphal cells; it had affinity to all lectins tried so far, except to Limax flavus lectin and to wheat germ lectin included in an earlier study. In the host, AGP and the galactose-specific lectins bound to the inner domain of the wall in areas not in contact with the fungus. At host cell penetration sites, affinity to these lectins often extended throughout the host wall, confirming that it is modified at these sites. Pre-treatment with protease had no effect on lectin binding to the host wall. After protease treatment, host starch granules retained affinity to galactose-specific lectins, but lost affinity for AGP.     

Studies on lectins. LVII. Immunofluorescence localization of lectins present in fish ovaries

The occurrence of endogeneous lectins in the ovaries of four fish species has been studied by indirect immunofluorescence staining with antibodies against individual lectins. Paraffin sections of the ovary of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) were treated with an antibody against perch lectin. In cryostat sections of the tench (Tinca tinca L.) ovary, the L-rhamnose-specific lectin "I" was detected with a specific antibody. In cryostat sections of both roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) and rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus L.) ovaries, lectins were localized using a single antibody against roach lectin. The isolation of tench lectins is briefly described. In the fish species employed for this study, lectins are associated exclusively with the content and surrounding membrane of cortical vesicles situated within the cytoplasm of maturing oocytes. The positive reaction with lectin antibody was observed almost immediately after the formation of the first cortical vesicles in the peripheral cytoplasm of early previtellogenic oocytes. Their lectin content increases during the later stages when cortical granules fill the whole cytoplasm before moving towards the cell periphery, as the oocyte starts to accumulate yolk. The presence of lectins within cortical vesicles is significant also in view of the polysaccharide content of these structures. In the vitellogenic oocytes lectins seem to move towards the cell periphery and accumulate beneath the plasma membrane. Our observations are discussed in view of the present ideas on the intracellular function of lectins, and with respect to the role of cortical vesicles in fertilization and in post-fertilization modifications of the egg envelopes.     

Purification of lectin from perch (Persa fluviatilis L.) roe specific to cellobiose and study of its characteristics

Two lectins with different carbohydrate specificity were purified from perch (Persa fluviatilis L.) roe (coastal ecological form) by affinity chromatography on ovariomucine H-sepharose from a human ovary cyst. One lectin was eluted by cellobiose and another lectin was eluted by L-fucose. The L-fucose-specific lectin interacted only with L-fucose and its derivatives, but did not interact with cellobiose and salicin. The cellobiose-specific lectin interacted with all the examined carbohydrates, but cellobiose was the best inhibitor. This lectin can be also purified on cellulose as an affinity sorbent. Unlike the L-fucose-specific lectin from perch roe, the cellobiose-specific lectin is less soluble in water-saline solutions. Lectin solubility increases greatly in presence of specific inhibitors, cellobiose, in particular. L-fucose, alpha-methyl-L-fucopyranoside and 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-fucopyranoside are equivalent inhibitors for both lectins. According to SDS-PAGE data, the lectins contain two components with molecular weight 12-13 kDa. In solutions, these components form molecules with 50 or 100 kDa (depending on pH). Data obtained from electrophoresis in PAAG in alkaline (pH 8.9) and acidic system (pH 4.3), and SDS-PAGE did not display essential distinctions between these both lectins.