title: A sialic acid-specific lectin from the mushroom Paecilomyces Japonica that exhibits hemagglutination activity and cytotoxicity.
abstract: The mushroom Paecilomyces japonica, grown on the silkworm larvae, has been used in Asia as a nutraceutical, tea, and Chinese medicine. In the present study, a sialic acid-specific lectin has been purified from the mushroom P. japonica using affinity chromatography on a fetuin-agarose column. Electrophoretical analyses indicated that this lectin, designated P. japonica agglutinin (PJA), is an acidic protein with a molecular mass of 16 kDa, and has no intermolecular disulfide bonds. PJA induced hemagglutination activity in human ABO, mouse, rat, and rabbit erythrocytes. This activity was inhibited by sialic acid and sialoglycoproteins, but not by any other carbohydrates. PJA was stable at pH 4.0-8.0, and at temperatures below 55 degrees C. The activity of PJA was independent of EDTA and divalent cations. In addition, PJA exerts cytotoxic effects on the following cancer cell lines: human stomach cancer SNU-1, human pancreas cancer AsPc-1, and human breast cancer MDA-MB-231.
authors.affiliation: Physical Pharmacy Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, 221 Huksuk-dong, Dongjak-ku, Seoul 156-756, Korea. hahyung@cau.ac.kr
authors.forename: Jee Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chang Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Ha Na
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Hyun Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hahyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006384:Hemagglutination / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D010143:Paecilomyces / Q000378:metabolism*; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D037121:Plant Lectins; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid