Published in

Elsevier, Process Biochemistry, 7(47), p. 1049-1059, 2012

DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2012.03.008

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Purification, primary structure and potential functions of a novel lectin from Bauhinia forficata seeds

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

A new lectin, BfL, was purified from Bauhinia forficata seeds by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography, Sepharose-4B and chitin affinity chromatographies and Superdex 75 size exclusion chromatography. The molecular homogeneity and purity of BfL were assessed by reversed-phase HPLC. BfL appeared as a single band of approximately 27.0 kDa on SDS-PAGE under non-reducing and reducing conditions, and its molecular weight was determined to be 27,850 Da by LC/ESI-MS. BfL is a glycoprotein with a carbohydrate content of 6.24% determined by the phenol–sulfuric acid method. Fetuin, asialofetuin, thyroglobulin and azocasein inhibited the hemagglutinating activity of BfL, whereas saccharides did not. BfL hemagglutinating activity was stable at 100 °C for 30 min, pH-dependent, with the highest activity at pH 6.0, and metal-independent. The primary structure of BfL shows similarity with other lectins from the genus Bauhinia. Deconvolution of the BfL circular dichroism (CD) spectrum indicated the presence of α-helix and β structures. BfL increases coagulation time, but this effect is not related to human plasma kallikrein or human factor Xa inhibition. BfL also inhibits ADP- and epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation in a dose-dependent manner and is the only currently described lectin from Bauhinia that exhibits anticoagulant and antiplatelet aggregating properties.