title: The photoreactive carbohydrate probe, a novel method for detection of lectins.
abstract: One of the main difficulties in the research of lectins is the absence of an adequate technique for their specific and routine detection. Here, we present a photoreactive carbohydrate-probe which could help to overcome this problem. The probe was comopsed by joining four segments: (i) a carbohydrate moiety, (ii) the digoxigenin tag, (iii) the photoreactive cross-linker and (iv) the lysyl-lysine backbone. After incubation with lectins in the dark, the probe can be activated and cross-linked to the lectins by illumination. The result is a lectin with covalently incorporated digoxigenin tag. Such a labelled lectin can be easily identified using anti-digoxigenin antibodies in a Western blot technique. This method is of high specificity and sensitivity and enables direct detection of lectins in complex mixtures, even whole cell homogenates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lauc
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barisić
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zanić
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flögel
mesh_terms: D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D004076:Digoxigenin / Q000737:chemistry; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry; D037102:Lectins / Q000032:analysis*; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D037102:Lectins; D005947:Glucose; D008239:Lysine; D004076:Digoxigenin