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Purification and Characterization of a Mucin Specific Mycelial Lectin from Aspergillus gorakhpurensis: Application for Mitogenic and Antimicrobial Activity

Summary

This research isolated and studied a protein called lectin from a fungus species. The protein showed promising biological activities that could be useful in medicine and biotechnology. Key impacts on everyday life include: – Potential development of new antimicrobial treatments – Possible applications in immune system stimulation – New tools for studying cell biology and disease – Advancement in protein purification techniques – Better understanding of fungal proteins for biotechnology applications

Background

Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins or glycoproteins that bind reversibly to specific carbohydrates present on opposing cells, responsible for their ability to agglutinate red blood cells, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, and other cells. Interest in lectins has increased due to their carbohydrate specificity as they can be valuable reagents for investigating cell surface sugars and purifying/characterizing glycoproteins.

Objective

To purify, characterize and evaluate the mitogenic and antimicrobial potential of a mycelial lectin isolated from Aspergillus gorakhpurensis.

Results

Single-step affinity purification resulted in 18.6-fold purification of the mycelial lectin. The lectin had a molecular mass of 70 kDa composed of two 34.8 kDa subunits. It showed optimal activity at pH 6.5-9.5 and temperature 20-30°C, with stability at pH 7.0-10.5. The lectin demonstrated strong mitogenic potential up to 150 µg/mL concentration and exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with marginal antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Conclusion

This is the first report of purification and characterization of a lectin from A. gorakhpurensis showing both mitogenic and antimicrobial properties. The strong biological activities make it a promising candidate for future studies in glycobiology and biomedical applications.
  • Published in:PLOS One,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109265
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