title: A mushroom lectin from ascomycete Cordyceps militaris.
abstract: A mushroom lectin has been purified from ascomycete Cordyceps militaris, which is one of the most popular mushrooms in eastern Asia used as a nutraceutical and in traditional Chinese medicine. This lectin, designated CML, exhibited hemagglutination activity in mouse and rat erythrocytes, but not in human ABO erythrocytes. SDS-PAGE of CML revealed a single band with a molecular mass of 31.0 kDa under both nonreducing and reducing conditions that was stained by silver nitrate, and a 31.4 kDa peak in a Superdex-200 HR gel-filtration column. The hemagglutination activity was inhibited by sialoglycoproteins, but not in by mono- or disaccharides, asialoglycoproteins, or de-O-acetylated glycoprotein. The activity was maximal at pH 6.0-9.1 and at temperatures below 50 degrees C. Circular dichroism spectrum analysis revealed that CML comprises 27% alpha-helix, 12% beta-sheets, 29% beta-turns, and 32% random coils. Its binding specificity and secondary structure are similar to those of a fungal lectin from Arthrobotrys oligospora. However, the N-terminal amino acid sequence of CML differs greatly from those of other lectins. CML exhibits mitogenic activity against mouse splenocytes.
authors.affiliation: Physical Pharmacy Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, 221 Huksuk-dong, Dongjak-ku, Seoul 156-756, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eui Cha
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ki Don
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chan Hyung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Ju Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Kyong
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ha Hyung
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000737:chemistry*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D032661:Cordyceps / Q000737:chemistry*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005615:Freezing; D006384:Hemagglutination / Q000187:drug effects*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D051381:Rats; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016622:Silver Staining; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D037121:Plant Lectins; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins