Ebook: Lectins and Glycobiology

The intriguing complexity, precision, and regulation of the wide range of biologi­ cal processes is determined by intricate mechanisms of molecular recognition. Their nature is under intense scrutiny. In addition to the well-appreciated interac­ tion of proteins either with amino acid or nucleotide sequences, the investigation of their interplay with carbohydrate elements of cellular glycoconjugates current­ ly exerts increasing attraction. In the group of carbohydrate-binding proteins, lec­ tins are distinguished from antibodies or ligand-affecting enzymes, according to the most recent definition. The thorough analysis of their structure and function is considered as a focus to collect a critical mass of information for delineating details of a further array of biochemical processes with pivotal physiological im­ pact. Following an already century-long history of scientific description, reflected by subjectively chosen highlights (see the Brief History of Lectin Research at page VI), the excitement in glycobiological research that prevails today can easily be ex­ plained by our growing awareness of the multifarious significance of a sugar-code system of biological information. This present notion unmistakably has an im­ pact on lines of research in diverse disciplines like cell and molecular biology, histochemistry, or clinical sciences. It also prompts inherent practical questions such as how to obtain lectins, or how to employ them as instruments in various assay systems with the best possible results. Thus, this book is devoted intentionally to cover the techniques in different research fields that deal with lectins.

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The role of lectins and glycoconjugates in various cellular processes is receiving increasing interest. Since many cellular glycoconjugates are ligands for lectins, they are used as efficacious tools in biochemistry and cell research. "Lectins and Glycobiology" provides all relevant techniques to investigate the structure and function of lectins and their various reactions. Included are methods for the preparation ofsynthetic carbohydrate ligands, the determination of physico-chemical properties of lectin- oligosaccharide interactions, the isolation and chemical modi- fication of lectins, and assays to detect and quantitate lectins. Several chapters focus on the study of signal transduction and cellular responses induced by lectins as well as on cellular adhesion and cell recognition involving lectin-glycoprotein interaction. Further major topics are molecular biological techniques such as the use of recombinant or mutant lectin genes.

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The role of lectins and glycoconjugates in various cellular processes is receiving increasing interest. Since many cellular glycoconjugates are ligands for lectins, they are used as efficacious tools in biochemistry and cell research. "Lectins and Glycobiology" provides all relevant techniques to investigate the structure and function of lectins and their various reactions. Included are methods for the preparation ofsynthetic carbohydrate ligands, the determination of physico-chemical properties of lectin- oligosaccharide interactions, the isolation and chemical modi- fication of lectins, and assays to detect and quantitate lectins. Several chapters focus on the study of signal transduction and cellular responses induced by lectins as well as on cellular adhesion and cell recognition involving lectin-glycoprotein interaction. Further major topics are molecular biological techniques such as the use of recombinant or mutant lectin genes.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XX
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Lectins: Insights into the State of Knowledge by Literature Searches....Pages 3-5
Front Matter....Pages 7-7
Synthetic Ligands for Lectins....Pages 9-22
Sugar-Polyacrylamide Conjugates as Probes for Cell Lectins....Pages 23-28
Front Matter....Pages 29-29
Isolation of Plant Lectins....Pages 31-46
Isolation, Detection, and Ligand Binding Specificity of a Lectin Uniquely Found in Rat Kupffer Cells....Pages 47-54
Galaptin: Isolation, Electrophoretic Analysis, Peptide Preparation for Sequencing, and Carbohydrate-Binding Site Specificity....Pages 55-64
Determination of Carbohydrate Specificity in Solid-Phase Assays....Pages 65-80
Analysis of Isoelectric Variants of Carbohydrate Binding Protein 35....Pages 81-85
Chemical Modification of Lectins by Group-Specific Reagents....Pages 86-97
Front Matter....Pages 98-101
Study of Oligosaccharide-Lectin Interaction by Various Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Techniques and Computational Methods....Pages 103-103
Lectin-Glycoconjugate Cross-Linking Interactions....Pages 105-116
Lectins as Analytical Probes to Define the Physical Characteristics of Binding Events....Pages 117-128
Front Matter....Pages 129-137
Glycoprotein-Lectin-Immunosorbent Assay (GLIA)....Pages 139-139
Use of Lectins in Quantification and Characterization of Soluble Glycoproteins....Pages 141-149
Lectins as Indicators of Disease-Associated Glycoforms....Pages 151-157
Viral Lectins for the Detection of 9-O-Acetylated Sialic Acid on Glycoproteins and Glycolipids....Pages 158-174
Affinoblotting Detection of the Glycoprotein Ligands of the Endogenous Cerebellar Soluble Lectin CSL and of Concanavalin A....Pages 175-181
Front Matter....Pages 182-187
An Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) for Human Endogenous ?-Galactoside-Binding Lectin....Pages 189-189
Analysis of Lectin Expression by Immunoblotting....Pages 191-195
Front Matter....Pages 196-201
Application of Immuno- and Affinocytochemistry to the Detection of an Endogenous ?-Galactoside-Specific 14 kDa Lectin and Its Ligands....Pages 189-189
Front Matter....Pages 202-208
Tissue Lectins in Histopathology — Markers in Search of Their Physiological Ligands....Pages 209-209
Lectin Cytochemistry Using Colloidal Gold Methodology....Pages 211-214
Neoglycoprotein-Gold Complexes as a Tool in the Study of Carbohydrate-Specific Binding Proteins....Pages 215-233
Lectins and Neoglycoproteins — Attractive Molecules to Study Glycoconjugates and Accessible Sugar-Binding Sites of Lower Vertebrates Histochemically....Pages 234-240
In Situ Microdensitometry of Neoglycoprotein Staining: Detection of Tissue-Site Specific Patterns of Endogenous Lectin Expression....Pages 241-250
Lectin and Neoglycoprotein Binding to Cells....Pages 251-259
Use of Lectins for the Phenotypic Characterization of Cultured Cell Monolayers....Pages 260-271
The Use of Lectins in the Purification of Cellular Subpopulations....Pages 272-277
Lectin-Binding Properties of Extracellular Matrix in the Chick Oral Membrane....Pages 278-286
Biodistribution of Radioactive Lectins....Pages 287-294
Lectin Interactions with Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Their Potential for Drug Delivery....Pages 295-303
Neoglycoprotein-Liposome Conjugates for Studies of Membrane Lectins....Pages 304-318
Front Matter....Pages 319-326
Effects of Lectins on Adenylylation and Phosphorylation of Plasma Membrane Proteins....Pages 327-327
Lectin-Induced Alterations in the Level of Phospholipids, Inositol Phosphates, and Phosphoproteins....Pages 329-355
Measurement of Intracellular Calcium Levels by Flow Cytometry Following Treatment of Murine Macrophage/Monocytes with Mistletoe Lectin....Pages 356-361
Measurement of Lectin-Induced Superoxide Release from Human Neutrophils....Pages 362-364
Isolation of Lymphocytes and Accessory Cells for Assays of Mitogenicity....Pages 365-368
Determination of Lectin-Mediated Augmentation of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity....Pages 369-375
Effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA-I and PA-II Lectins on Tumoral Cells....Pages 376-379
Front Matter....Pages 380-395
Determination of Lectin-Dependent Alterations of Cellular Parameters by Immunophenotyping During Adjuvant Lectin Application....Pages 327-327
Lectin-Dependent Alteration in Availability of Nutrients in Serum and Erythrocytes....Pages 396-401
Front Matter....Pages 402-404
Bacterial Adhesion to Immobilized Carbohydrates....Pages 405-405
Quantitative Micro-Adhesion Assay on Polystyrene Matrices....Pages 407-410
Identifying a Role for Carbohydrate Recognition in Regulating Neuronal Architecture....Pages 411-417
Identifying Cell-Cell Adhesion-Inhibitory Antibodies to Cell Surface Proteins Using Divalent Primary and Monovalent Secondary Antibodies — a Method Developed Using Cellular Slime Molds....Pages 418-424
A Modified Capillary Method for Measuring Bacterial Chemotaxis....Pages 425-432
Front Matter....Pages 433-440
Cloning Lectin Genes....Pages 441-444
Cell-Free Synthesis of Lectins....Pages 445-445
cDNA Cloning and Expression of Plant Lectins from the Legume Family....Pages 447-457
Mammalian Lectin as Transforming Growth Factor....Pages 458-468
Back Matter....Pages 469-473
....Pages 474-481