Snake venom galactoside-binding lectins: a structural and functional overview

Snake venom galactoside-binding lectins (SVgalLs) comprise a class of toxins capable of recognizing and interacting with terminal galactoside residues of glycans. In the past 35 years, since the first report on the purification of thrombolectin from Bothrops atrox snake venom, several SVgalLs from Viperidae and Elapidae snake families have been described, as has progressive improvement in the investigation of structural/functional aspects of these lectins. Moreover, the advances of techniques applied in protein-carbohydrate recognition have provided important approaches in order to screen for possible biological targets. The present review describes the efforts over the past 35 years to elucidate SVgalLs, highlighting their structure and carbohydrate recognition function involved in envenomation pathophysiology and potential biomedical applications.(AU)

Snake venom galactoside-binding lectins: a structural and functional overview

Snake venom galactoside-binding lectins (SVgalLs) comprise a class of toxins capable of recognizing and interacting with terminal galactoside residues of glycans. In the past 35 years, since the first report on the purification of thrombolectin from Bothrops atrox snake venom, several SVgalLs from Viperidae and Elapidae snake families have been described, as has progressive improvement in the investigation of structural/functional aspects of these lectins. Moreover, the advances of techniques applied in protein-carbohydrate recognition have provided important approaches in order to screen for possible biological targets. The present review describes the efforts over the past 35 years to elucidate SVgalLs, highlighting their structure and carbohydrate recognition function involved in envenomation pathophysiology and potential biomedical applications.

Molecular Characterization and Mitogenic Activity of a Lectin from Purse Crab Philyra Pisum

A lectin from the hemolymph of purse crab, Philyra pisum, was found to have anti-proliferative activity on human lung cancer cells by our laboratory. In this study, P. pisum lectin (PPL) was molecularly characterized including molecular mass, amino acid sequences, amino acid composition, and the effects of metal ions, temperature, and pH on the activity. We found that PPL showed mitogenic activity on human lymphocytes and BALB/c mouse splenocytes. The mitogenic activity (maximum stimulation index, SI=9.57+/-0.59) of PPL on human lymphocytes was higher than that of a standard well-known plant mitogen, concanavalin A (maximum SI=8.80+/-0.59). The mitogenic activity mediated by PPL is required for optimum dosing, and higher or lower concentrations caused decreases in mitogenic response. PPL also induced mitogenic activity on mouse splenocytes, however, the maximum SI (1.77+/-0.09) on mouse splenocytes of PPL was lower than that (2.14+/-0.15) of concanavalin A. In conclusion, PPL is a metal ion-dependent monomer lectin with mitogenic activity, and could be used as a lymphocyte or splenocyte stimulator.

Expression and Purification of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Mutant with Reduced Mitogenic Activity / 中国生物工程杂志

In order to decrease the potential side-effects of human basic fibroblast growth factor (hbFGF) caused by its broadspectrum mitogenic activity, a single residue of hbFGF, the residue serine 108, was replaced with neutral alanine residue to construct a mutant of hbFGF (mhbFGF) with reduced mitogenic activity. The mutant was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) by IPTG induction. The expression level of mhbFGF was about 30% of the total cellular protein. The expressed mhbFGF was purified by ionic exchange and heparin affinity chromatography from the supernatant of bacteria lysate. Measured by MTT method, the effect of mhbFGF on Balb/c 3T3 cell proliferation was much lower than that of wild-type hbFGF. The purified recombinant mhbFGF was prepared and sufficient for the following pharmacological and safety studies.

Expression and Purification of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Mutant with Reduced Mitogenic Activity / 中国生物工程杂志

In order to decrease the potential side-effects of human basic fibroblast growth factor (hbFGF) caused by its broadspectrum mitogenic activity, a single residue of hbFGF, the residue serine 108, was replaced with neutral alanine residue to construct a mutant of hbFGF (mhbFGF) with reduced mitogenic activity. The mutant was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) by IPTG induction. The expression level of mhbFGF was about 30% of the total cellular protein. The expressed mhbFGF was purified by ionic exchange and heparin affinity chromatography from the supernatant of bacteria lysate. Measured by MTT method, the effect of mhbFGF on Balb/c 3T3 cell proliferation was much lower than that of wild-type hbFGF. The purified recombinant mhbFGF was prepared and sufficient for the following pharmacological and safety studies.

Expression and Purification of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Mutant with Reduced Mitogenic Activity / 中国生物工程杂志

In order to decrease the potential side-effects of human basic fibroblast growth factor (hbFGF) caused by its broadspectrum mitogenic activity, a single residue of hbFGF, the residue serine 108, was replaced with neutral alanine residue to construct a mutant of hbFGF (mhbFGF) with reduced mitogenic activity. The mutant was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) by IPTG induction. The expression level of mhbFGF was about 30% of the total cellular protein. The expressed mhbFGF was purified by ionic exchange and heparin affinity chromatography from the supernatant of bacteria lysate. Measured by MTT method, the effect of mhbFGF on Balb/c 3T3 cell proliferation was much lower than that of wild-type hbFGF. The purified recombinant mhbFGF was prepared and sufficient for the following pharmacological and safety studies.