title: Purification and characterization of a novel beta-D-galactosides-specific lectin from Clitoria ternatea.
abstract: A lectin present in seeds of Clitoria ternatea agglutinated trypsin-treated human B erythrocytes. The sugar specificity assay indicated that lectin belongs to Gal/Gal NAc-specific group. Hence the lectin, designated C. ternatea agglutinin (CTA), was purified by the combination of acetic acid precipitation, salt fractionation and affinity chromatography. HPLC gel filtration, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry indicated that the native lectin is composed of two identical subunits of molecular weight 34.7 kDa associated by non covalent bonds. The N-terminal sequence of CTA shared homology with Glycine max and Pisum sativum. Complete sequence was also found to be homologous to S-64 protein of Glycine max, suggesting that CTA probably exhibits both hemagglutination and probably sugar uptake activity. The carbohydrate binding specificity of the lectin was investigated by quantitative turbidity measurements, and percent inhibition assays. Based on these assays, we conclude that CTA binds beta-D: -galactosides, and also may has an extended specificity towards non-reducing terminal Neu5Acalpha2,6Gal.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202 002, India.
authors.forename: Aabgeena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naeem
authors.forename: Shabirul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: Rizwan Hasan
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D031292:Clitoria / Q000737:chemistry*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005697:Galactosides / Q000737:chemistry*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D005697:Galactosides; D037102:Lectins