title: Characterization of antigenic epitopes in anti-ulcer pectic polysaccharides from Bupleurum falcatum L. using several carbohydrases.
abstract: A polyclonal antibody (anti-bupleuran 2IIc/PG-1-IgG) against the "ramified" region (PG-1) of an anti-ulcer pectic polysaccharide was prepared and its antigenic epitopes were analyzed by using several carbohydrases. Enzymatic removal of arabinosyl residues from PG-1 by endo-(1-->5)-alpha-L-arabinanase (from Aspergillus niger) did not reduce the binding ability of anti-bupleuran 2IIc/PG-1-IgG to PG-1. When the endo-(1-->5)-alpha-L-arabinanase-resistant fraction (EA-1) was digested with rhamnogalacturonase A (rRGase A from A. aculeatus), a high-molecular-mass fragment fraction (RA-1) and an oligosaccharide fraction (RA-3) were obtained. RA-3 contained at least four kinds of oligosaccharides liberated from the rhamnogalacturonan core. This partial removal of the rhamnogalacturonan core in EA-1 also did not reduce the binding of the antibody to the polysaccharide. Further digestion of RA-1 with exo-(1-->3)-beta-D-galactanase (from Irpex lacteus), gave a high-molecular-mass fragment (EXG-1) and a trace of oligosaccharides (EXG-3). Methylation and FABMS analyses indicated that EXG-3 contained mono- and di-galactosyl oligosaccharides possessing terminal GlcA or GlcA4Me. Removal of the EXG-3 fraction from RA-1 by exo-(1-->3)-beta-D-galactanase significantly reduced the ability of the binding of the antibody to the polysaccharide. When PG-1 was digested with endo-(1-->6)-beta-D-galactanase (from Trichoderma viride) or beta-D-glucuronidase (from A. niger), the reactivities of both enzyme-resistant fractions to the antibody were decreased in comparison with that of PG-1. Both radish arabinogalactan (containing GlcA4Me) and beta-D-GlcpA-(1-->6)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->6)-D-Galp were shown to inhibit the reactivity of PG-1 to the antibody by competitive ELISA. These results suggest that 6-linked galactosyl chains containing terminal GlcA or GlcA4Me attached to (1-->3)-beta-D-galactosyl chains, are important sugar residues in the antigenic epitopes of the "ramified" region of bupleuran 2IIc.
authors.affiliation: Oriental Medicine Research Center, Kitasato Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiyohara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsumuraya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D029972:Bupleurum; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000276:immunology*; D018517:Plant Roots
chemical_list: C051274:Bupleurum root extract; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D000939:Epitopes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; C019822:carbohydrase