Separation of mistletoe lectins based on the degree of glycosylation using boronate affinity chromatography

A mixture of two mistletoe lectins (MLs) has been separated according to the degree of glycosylation using boronate affinity chromatography. The mistletoe lectins, mistletoe lectin I (MLI) and mistletoe lectin III (MLIII) with degrees of glycosylation of 6.1 and 3.8%, respectively, were used in the investigation. MLI exhibited a higher retention time than MLIII due to its higher degree of glycosylation. Separation was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The developed method may lead to new applications for the boronate affinity technique, as well as provide an alternative separation method for MLs.