title: A new lectin from the sea worm Serpula vermicularis: isolation, characterization and anti-HIV activity.
abstract: A GlcNAc-specific lectin was isolated from the sea worm Serpula vermicularis (SVL) (Annelida) and purified by ion-exchange, affinity and gel permeation chromatography. SVL was a homotetrameric protein with native molecular mass of about 50 kDa, and consisted of identical subunits of 12.7 kDa. The carbohydrate content of 1.9% suggested that the lectin was a glycoprotein, and mainly composed by aspartic and glutamic acids, glycine, valine and serine; with relatively lower content of basic amino acids and cysteine. The first 15 residues of the N-terminal region were determined as ADTPCQMLGSRYGWR. It was stable at pH 6-9 and at temperatures up to 40 degrees C. SVL was Ca(2+)-independent lectin that agglutinated native and trypsinized human erythrocytes. Hapten inhibition studies indicated that SVL showed binding specificity only for N-acetyl-d-glucosamine and its derivatives among the monosaccharides tested and required the presence of hydroxyl group at the C-3 of GlcNAc. The presence of hydrophobic p-nitrophenyl aglycone improved inhibitory potency of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine. Ovomucoid and ovalbumin were found to be inhibitors among the glycoproteins used for inhibition assay. The anti-HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) activity of SVL in vitro was determined: SVL inhibited the production of viral p24 antigen and cytopathic effect induced by HIV-1. The EC(50) values were 0.23 and 0.15 microg x mL(-1) respectively.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemistry of Non-Infectious Immunity of Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia. molchanova@piboc.dvo.ru
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molchanova
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chikalovets
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chernikov
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Belogortseva
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-Yun Ou
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yong-Tang
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lukyanov
mesh_terms: D000371:Agglutination / Q000187:drug effects; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011077:Polychaeta
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D037102:Lectins