Modes of association of concanavalin A with alpha-D-glycosides

Concanavalin A: coordination diversity to xenobiotic metal ions and biological consequences

The binding ability of lectins has gained attention owing to the carbohydrate-specific interactions of these proteins. Such interactions can be applied to diverse fields of biotechnology, including the detection, isolation, and concentration of biological target molecules. The physiological aspects of the lectin concanavalin A (ConA) have been intensively studied through structural and functional investigations. X-ray crystallography studies have proven that ConA has two β-sheets and a short α-helix and that it exists in the form of a metalloprotein containing Mn²⁺ and Ca²⁺. These heterometals are coordinated with side chains located in a metal-coordinated domain (MCD), and they affect the structural environment in the carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD), which interacts with carbohydrates through hydrogen bonds. Recent studies have shown that ConA can regulate biophysical interactions with glycoproteins in virus envelopes because it specifically interacts with diverse polysaccharides through its CBD (Tyr, Asn, Asp, and Arg residues positioned next to the MCD). Owing to their protein-protein interaction abilities, ConA can form diverse self-assembled complexes including monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers, thus affording unique results in different applications. In this regard, herein, we present a review of the structural modifications in ConA through metal-ion coordination and their effect on complex formation. In recent approaches, ConA has been applied for viral protein detection, on the basis of the interactions of ConA. These aspects indicate that lectins should be thoroughly investigated with respect to their biophysical interactions, for avoiding unexpected changes in their interaction abilities.

A yeast glycolipid biosurfactant, mannosylerythritol lipid, shows high binding affinity towards lectins on a self-assembled monolayer system

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MEL), which are glycolipid biosurfactants secreted by the Pseudozyma yeasts, show not only excellent surface-active properties but also versatile biochemical actions including antitumor and cell-differentiation activities. In order to address the biochemical actions, interactions between MEL-A, the major component of MEL, and different lectins were investigated using the surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. The monolayer of MEL-A showed high binding affinity to concanavalin A (ConA) and Maackia amurensis lectin-I (MAL-I). The observed affinity constants for ConA and MAL-I were estimated to be 9.48 +/- 1.31 x 10(6) and 3.13 +/- 0.274 x 10(6) M(-1), respectively; the value was comparable to that of Manalpha1-6(Manalpha1-3)Man, which is one of the most specific probe to ConA. Significantly, alpha-methyl-D-mannopyranoside (1 mM) exhibited no binding inhibition between MEL-A and ConA. MEL-A is thus likely to self-assemble to give a high affinity surface, where ConA binds to the hydrophilic headgroup in a different manner from that generally observed in lectin-saccharide interactions. The binding manner should be related with the biochemical actions of MEL toward mammalian cells via protein-carbohydrate interactions.

Applications of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular modeling to the study of protein-carbohydrate interactions

This work provides an overview of the applications of NMR to the study of protein-carbohydrate interactions. The use of TR-NOE experiments in this context is given. In particular, the study of Ricin/lactose and Hevein/chitobiose complexes is detailed.