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A lectin from the lichenized Basidiomycete Dictyonema glabratum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2000

SELENE L. ELIFIO
Affiliation:
Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19046, 81531–990, Curitiba/PR, Brazil
MARIA DE LOURDES C. C. DA SILVA
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física, Química e Biologia, UNESP – Presidente Prudente/SP, Brazil
MARCELLO IACOMINI
Affiliation:
Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19046, 81531–990, Curitiba/PR, Brazil
PHILIP A. J. GORIN
Affiliation:
Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19046, 81531–990, Curitiba/PR, Brazil
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Abstract

A lectin with hemagglutinating activity has been isolated from an aqueous extract of the symbiotic phenotype of Dictyonema glabratum and its cyanobacterial photobiont Scytonema sp. The purified lectin had a pI of 6.8 and its molecular mass was investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, gel filtration and SDS-PAGE, which indicated its native conformation as a dimer formed by two identical subunits of 16540 Da. The lectin is a glycoprotein with a low degree of glycosylation, containing galactose, xylose, glucose and mannose as neutral monosaccharides, in addition to glucosamine, which could indicate both N- and O-linkages. Amino acid analysis showed the predominance of nonpolar residues such as phenylalanine. Agglutination of human erythrocytes required divalent cations, which is affected by addition of EDTA. The lectin was more stable at 30 °C or less for at least 1 h and between pH 5.0 and 7.0. Among the various compounds tested for hemagglutination inhibition, N-acetylgalactosamine was the most active. The potential role of this lectin in recognition of the compatible cyanobacterial photobiont is discussed.

Type
Research article
Copyright
© Trustees of the New Phytologist 2000

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