Isolation and characterization of the major mannose-binding protein in chicken serum

Mannose-binding activity is abundantly present in chicken serum. The major mannose-binding protein has been isolated from chicken serum by affinity chromatography and gel filtration. The protein consists of two subunits of 75 000 and 26 500 daltons. Unlike hepatic lectins or other mannose-binding proteins, this protein does not require calcium for binding mannose-containing glycoconjugates. The chicken serum mannose-binding protein is immunochemically distinct from the chicken hepatic lectin and rabbit serum mannose-binding protein.