A guide to the carbohydrate specificities of applied lectins-2 (updated in 2000).

Abstract

The lectins, that can be used as tools to study glycobiological systems are defined as applied lectins (, , , , , , , , , , , , , ).They are easily obtained, stable and have their own binding specificity extending beyond the monosaccharide(, , , ,, , , , ).Their biochemical application has been reviewed extensively by Goldstein and Poretz (), Sharon and Lis () and Goldsteinet al. () Hundreds of lectins are used as applied lectins. Thus, organizing and grouping binding properties of these lectins should facilitate the selection of lectins as structural probes for studying glycans as well as the interpretation, distribution and properties of the carbohydrate chains on the cell surface. From the information provided by inhibition assays and binding properties, the carbohydrate specificities of applied lectins are classified into six groups according to their specificities to monosaccharides. The subgroups are based on lectin affinities to GalNAca1-0 to Ser(Thr) of the peptide chain, disaccharides, trisaccharides and, the number and the location of LFucal-’linked to oligosaccharides; all of these structures are found mainly in soluble glycoproteins and as cell surface glycoconjugates in mammals (, , , ,). Reviews concerning coding and classification of DGa1, GaINAc and Galf31-3/4G1cNAc specificities of applied lectins are given in Secion 1–4 of this proceeding () together with references , , , . A scheme of the classification is shown as follows.