Purification and characterization of a new lectin from the red marine alga Hypnea musciformis.

A lectin from the red marine alga Hypnea musciformis (HML) was purified by extraction with 20 mM PBS, precipitation with 70% saturated ammonium sulphate, ion-exchange DEAE-Cellulose chromatography and RP-HPLC. The 9.3 kDa polypeptide agglutinates erythrocytes from various sources and shows oligomerization tendencies under certain MALDI-TOF/MS conditions. Preliminary N-terminal sequencing and biological assays strongly suggest that the HML may belong to a new class of algae lectins.