Camptosemin, a tetrameric lectin of Camptosema ellipticum: structural and functional analysis

Eur Biophys J. 2010 Jul;39(8):1193-205. doi: 10.1007/s00249-009-0571-5. Epub 2010 Jan 3.

Abstract

Lectins have been classified into a structurally diverse group of proteins that bind carbohydrates and glycoconjugates with high specificity. They are extremely useful molecules in the characterization of saccharides, as drug delivery mediators, and even as cellular surface makers. In this study, we present camptosemin, a new lectin from Camptosema ellipticum. It was characterized as an N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-binding homo-tetrameric lectin, with a molecular weight around 26 kDa/monomers. The monomers were stable over a wide range of pH values and exhibited pH-dependent oligomerization. Camptosemin promoted adhesion of breast cancer cells and hemagglutination, and both activities were inhibited by its binding of sugar. The stability and unfolding/folding behavior of this lectin was characterized using fluorescence and far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopies. The results indicate that chemical unfolding of camptosemin proceeds as a two-state monomer-tetramer process. In addition, small-angle X-ray scattering shows that camptosemin behaves as a soluble and stable homo-tetramer molecule in solution.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylgalactosamine / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Carbohydrates / chemistry
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Fabaceae / chemistry*
  • Female
  • Ferns
  • Hemagglutination
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Molecular Weight
  • Plant Lectins / chemistry*
  • Plant Lectins / genetics
  • Plant Lectins / isolation & purification
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Stability
  • Scattering, Small Angle
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Carbohydrates
  • Plant Lectins
  • Acetylgalactosamine