Specificity of Amaranthus leucocarpus lectin

E Zenteno1, R Lascurain, L F Montaño

  • 1Departamento Biología Experimental, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Glycoconjugate Journal
|August 1, 1992
PubMed

We have demonstrated that Amaranthus leucocarpus lectin hemagglutinating activity was powerfully inhibited by the T-antigen, containing Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc(alpha 1-3)Ser/Thr, and the Tn-antigen, which contains GalNAc(alpha 1-3)Ser/Thr. This suggests that the acetamido group at C-2 and the axial -OH at C-4 of the N-acetyl-D-galactopyranosylamine ring are important for lectin binding. The hemagglutination assays also established that desialylated and Pronase-treated human type O erythrocytes with an M phenotype were better recognized than erythrocytes from all other blood groups. The recognition was dependent on pH and ionic strength.