Lectins are widespread in nature and most of them have been isolated and characterized from Leguminoseae, Gramineae and Labiatae families. The PRG has detected, isolated and characterized two different lectins (P2 and P4) from Diocleae lehmanni (DLL), Dioclea sericea (DSL),, Dioclea grandiflora(DGL),, Galactia lindenii(GLL), and Canavalia ensiformis(CEL). These lectins are present in the same seeds and have different physicochemical properties; this allows us to question about the physiological role of these proteins. P4 lectin recognized Glc/Man and P2 has high affinity towards H-Type 2 antigen (Fuc a(1-2)b-D-Gal(1-4)b-D-GlcNAc) and lactose residues. The affinity constants towards H-Type 2 antigen of Galactia lindenii (GLL-P2) and Dioclea lehmanni (DLL-P2) have been established by frontal affinity chromatography (FAC) and ELLSA assays [ 1,2,3]. Previously, the Galactia lindenii (GLL-P4) was detected, but to date biochemical or molecular characterizations haven’t been carried out due to the low proportion of GLL-P4 in seeds. In order to isolate GLL-P4 preliminary assays were carried out using mature seeds; the crude extract was obtained using PBS 5 mM Thiourea and after that the protein was purified on Sephacryl S-200 by eluting it with a-methyl manopiranose 0.2 M. SDS-PAGE profile was similar to other P4 lectins from other species. The quantitative determination of these two types of lectins allowed us to establish that there is a modulated expression in different genders. GLL-P2 is expressed in greater proportion to GLL-P4. Otherwise, Canavalia ensiformis has higher expression of CEL-P4.
Key words: Leguminosae lectin, glycoconjugate, carbohydrates .
[1] Maritza Almanza , Nohora Vega, Gerardo Pérez (2004” Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 492: 180-190.
[2] Melgarejo Luz Marina, Vega Nohora, Pérez Gerardo (2005) Braz. J. Plant Physiol. 17: 315-324.
[3] Vega N, Iwake J, Pérez G. and Hirabayashi J. Unpublished results
