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Purification and partial characterization of two lectins from the cactus Machaerocereus eruca
E Zenteno1, H Debray, J Montreuil
1Laboratoire de Chimie Biologique de l'Université des Sciences et Techniques de Lille Flandres-Artois (Unité Associée au Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique no. 217, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
Abstract:
Two lectins (MEAI and MEAII) were isolated from the cactus Machaerocereus eruca by affinity chromatography on mucin-Sepharose and partially characterized with respect to their biochemical and carbohydrate binding properties. Both are oligomeric glycoproteins consisting of 35 kDa monomers. Amino acid analysis indicates that both lectins have similar composition with high amounts of glycine, glutamic acid and serine. MEAI and MEAII contain approximately 36 and 24% (w/w) of carbohydrates, respectively. They agglutinate erythrocytes from several animal species. Binding specificity was directed to galactose-containing oligosaccharides and glycopeptides. The M. eruca lectins are the first lectins to be isolated from a species belonging to the plant family of Cactaceae.