Lectins: production and practical applications

Abstract

Lectins are proteins found in a diversity of organisms. They possess the ability to agglutinate erythrocytes with known carbohydrate specificity since they have at least one non-catalytic domain that binds reversibly to specific monosaccharides or oligosaccharides. This articles aims to review the production and practical applications of lectins. Lectins are isolated from their natural sources by chromatographic procedures or produced by recombinant DNA technology. The yields of animal lectins are usually low compared with the yields of plant lectins such as legume lectins. Lectins manifest a diversity of activities including antitumor, immunomodulatory, antifungal, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory, and anti-insect activities, which may find practical applications. A small number of lectins demonstrate antibacterial and anti-nematode activities.

Effects of plant latex based anti-termite formulations on Indian white termite <i>Odontotermes obesus</i> (Isoptera: Odontotermitidae) in sub-tropical high infestation areas

“…Similarly, cysteine proteases occur in latex of papaya (Carica papaya) and wild fig (Ficusvirgata) were found highly toxic to caterpillars of herbivorous insects [9]. Similarly, few natural products such as sugar mimic alkaloids [30,31] flavonoids [32,33], sesquiterpenes [34], triterpenes [35] and thiophenes [36], lectins [37,38], latex proteins [39], acetogenins [40] and other botanicals [8,41] isolated from different plants species were found active against silk worm, Bombyx mori and termites [42]. Similarly latex chitinases [43], glycosidase inhibitors [44] and few secondary metabolites of plant origin show strong insecticidal properties [10].…”

Purification and cDNA cloning of a lectin and a lectin-like protein from Apios americana Medikus tubers

“…2) Recently, a lectin microarray was developed as a high-throughput technology for glycan profiling of glycoproteins and cells, 3) and the importance of lectins in the fields is increasing. Since increase in the repertoire of lectins makes the technology more effective, screening and isolation of novel lectins with various carbohydrate-binding specificities are still needed.…”

Extraction and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Cultured and Natural Sponge, Haliclona molitba and Stylotella aurantium Origin of Indonesia

“…This suggested that bioactive compounds which inhibit the growth of bacteria were mostly semi-polar, and thus, could be easily extracted by methanol which was also semi polar. Antimicrobial compounds produced by sponge might play an effective role in improving the efficiency of getting food which was in the form of bacteria [9].…”