title: Characteristics and primary structure of a galectin in the skin mucus of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica.
abstract: The characteristics and primary structure of AJL-1, one of the lectins in the skin mucus of the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica), were examined. This lectin exhibited beta-galactoside specific activity in a Ca2+ independent manner. We previously reported that its molecular mass was 16,091Da, although it was approximately 30 kDa as determined by gel filtration, indicating that it is a homodimer having non-covalent bonds. This lectin was composed of 142 amino acid residues having no half-cystinyl residues, and showed homology to members of the galectin family, especially to proto-type galectins. Gene expression of this lectin was detected in skin only, and relative expression was high in an individual that exhibited resistance to infectious disease. AJL-1 showed agglutinating activity against pathogenic bacteria, Streptococcus difficile. This suggests that AJL-1 functions as an important defensive factor at the body surface.
authors.affiliation: Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Maisaka, Maisaka-cho, Hamana-gun, Shizuoka 431-0211, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tasumi
authors.forename: Wei-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Usami
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawazoe
authors.forename: Marcy N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Wilder
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aida
authors.forename: Yuzuru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000811:Anguilla / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D037161:Galectins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D037161:Galectins