Killing by Entamoeba histolytica requires parasite adherence to host galactose-and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (Gal/GalNAc)-containing cell surface receptors. A 260-kDa heterodimeric E. histolytica Gal/GalNAc lectin composed of heavy (Hgl) and light (Lgl) subunits has been previously described. Here we present the cloning and characterization of Igl, a 150-kDa intermediate subunit of the Gal/GalNAc lectin. Igl, Hgl, and Lgl colocalized on the surface membrane of trophozoites. Two unlinked copies of genes encoding Igl shared 81% amino acid sequence identity (GenBank accession no. AF337950 and AF337951). They encoded cysteine-rich proteins with amino-and carboxy-terminal hydrophobic signal sequences characteristic of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane proteins. The igl genes lacked carbohydrate recognition domains but were members of a large family of amebic genes containing CXXC and CXC motifs. These data indicate that Igl is part of the parasite's multimolecular Gal/GalNAc adhesin required for host interaction.Carbohydrate-protein interactions initiate the contact-dependent cytotoxicity for which Entamoeba histolytica was named. Parasite recognition of host galactose (Gal) and Nacetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc) residues initiates trophozoite adherence to human colonic mucin, colonic epithelium, neutrophils and erythrocytes, certain bacteria, and a variety of cultured cell lines (3-7, 16, 19-22, 27, 36-38). Contact-dependent killing of target cells is Ͼ90% inhibited by Gal and GalNAc (34,37,41). Additionally, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell glycosylation-deficient mutants lacking terminal Gal/GalNAc residues on N-and O-linked sugars are nearly totally resistant to amebic adherence and cytolytic activity (23,24,39).The E. histolytica 260-kDa Gal/GalNAc lectin is a heterodimer of transmembrane heavy (170 kDa) (Hgl) and GPIanchored light (35 or 31 kDa) (Lgl) glycoproteins linked by disulfide bonds. It was originally identified by galactose affinity chromatography and with adherence-inhibitory monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) (30,43). Both Hgl and Lgl are encoded by gene families (28,35). Antibodies that block or augment parasite Gal/GalNAc binding activity map to the cysteine-rich region (amino acids 356 to 1143) of Hgl (25), and this region (when expressed in Escherichia coli) contains a functional carbohydrate recognition domain (14, 33). The cytoplasmic tail of Hgl has homology to the cytoplasmic domain of 2 and 7 integrins, including regions implicated in binding of the intracellular signaling molecules Shc and Grb2. Overexpression of the cytoplasmic tail results in a dominant negative effect on endogenous lectin activity, with decreased adherence, cytotoxicity, and in vivo virulence (44).The 150-kDa lectin intermediate subunit (Igl) was originally identified as a trophozoite surface antigen recognized by MAbs which block trophozoite adherence to mammalian cells in vitro (9)(10)(11)42). The EH3015 MAb specific for Igl significantly inhibits adherence of amebae to erythrocytes and CHO cells, erythrop...