title: Specificity analysis of the C-type lectin from rattlesnake venom, and its selectivity towards Gal- or GalNAc-terminated glycoproteins.
abstract: The rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) venom lectin is a readily-prepared decameric C-type lectin, specific for Gal and GalNAc. Glycan microarray analysis showed it reacted with a wide range of glycans, chiefly recognizing sets of compounds with Galβ1-4GlcNAc (LacNAc), α-Gal or α-GalNAc non-reducing termini. Its array profile was therefore distinctly different from those of four previously studied mammalian C-type lectins with the same Gal/GalNAc monosaccharide specificity, and it was more broadly reactive than several Gal- or GalNAc-specific plant lectins commonly used for glycan blotting. Though a general reactivity towards glycoproteins might be expected from the avidity conferred by its high valence, it showed a marked preference for glycoproteins with multiple glycans, terminated by Gal or GalNAc. Thus its ten closely-spaced sites each with a K(D) for GalNAc of ~2 mM appeared to make RSVL more selective than the four more widely-spaced sites of soybean agglutinin, with a ten-fold better K(D) for GalNAc.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Martin.Young@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
authors.forename: N Martin
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Faassen
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: C Roger
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D017839:Crotalus; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D037161:Galectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D037161:Galectins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037181:Lectins, C-Type