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Solanum tuberosum lectin consists of two identical 50,000 dalton subunits. The subunits can dissociate in solution to produce a monomeric form of the lectin which does not agglutinate cells. Potato lectin contains about 50% carbohydrate, composed of arabinose and galactose. This lectin binds oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine and some bacterial cell wall oligosaccharides containing N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid. Although the carbohydrate binding specificity is similar to wheat germ agglutinin and Datura stramonium lectin, several differences have been reported for potato lectin (references available upon request).
This biotinylated lectin conjugate is prepared from affinity-purified lectin and is optimally labeled with biotin. Essentially free of inactive lectin conjugate and containing no free biotin, this biotinylated lectin provides an ideal intermediate for examining glycoconjugates using the Biotin-Avidin System. First the biotin-labeled lectin is added, followed by the VECTASTAIN® ABC Reagent, Avidin D conjugate, or streptavidin derivative. Another possible application is in the isolation of lymphokines and other products of mitogenic stimulation. |