Preparation of affinity adsorbents and purification of lectins from natural sources

Lectins are purified by affinity chromatography to take advantage of their carbohydrate-specific interactions. Highly efficient affinity adsorbents are powerful tools to obtain homogeneous lectins with distinct specificities. Here, we describe three methods to prepare affinity adsorbents by immobilizing carbohydrates or glycoconjugates on agarose gel beads. Because the ligands are immobilized via a stable and nonionic linkage under mild conditions, the adsorbents possess high binding capacity for lectins with low nonspecific adsorption and can withstand repeated use. The procedures require neither specialized techniques and apparatus nor highly toxic compounds. Using these adsorbents, many plant and animal lectins can be purified in a few steps.