PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A LECTIN FROM THE DIGESTIVE GLAND OF THE STARFISH, PENTACERASTER MAMMILLATUS

Author(s): A.Arokya Jothi Blessy* and M.R. Basil-Rose

Abstract: An agglutinin/lectin that agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes with high affinity was identified in the extract of the digestive gland of the starfish Pentaceraster mammillatus by hemagglutination assay. The identified digestive gland lectin was isolated and purified by biospecific adsorption using formalinized rabbit erythrocytes. The isolated lectin continued to agglutinate rabbit, human A, B, O, dog, pig, buffalo and cow erythrocytes in the same pattern like the crude extract. The lectin was Ca++ dependant. Optimum activity of the lectin was observed between temperature 5 and 40 oC and at pH 8 - 9.5. Agglutinability of the lectin was inhibited by sugars: α - lactose > galactose = D-mannose anhydrosamine > fucose and by glycoproteins: lactoferrin > thyroglobulin > fetuin > PSM > BSM. The lectin appeared as a single band with a molecular mass of 25 kDa on SDS-PAGE.

PAGES: 438-444  |  89 VIEWS  244 DOWNLOADS