Sugar-binding protein

Lager, I., Looger, L. L., Hilpert, M., Lalonde, S. and Frommer, W. B. (2006). Conversion of a putative Agrobacterium sugar-binding protein into a FRET sensor with high selectivity for sucrose. J. Biol. Chem. 281, 30875-83. 

Identify sugar-binding proteins involved in pathogenicity... 

Lectins, sugar-binding proteins, have become powerful molecular probes to investigate the structure, topography and dynamics of cell-surface saccharide determinants (1). The utility of these proteins in the study of the surface properties of a variety of cell types has stimulated renewed interest in the determination of the molecular basis of their saccharide specificity. Furthermore lectins provide relatively simple models for the investigation of noncovalent interactions between saccharides and proteins. 

Circular dichroism (CD) has been utilized to investigate the effect of saccharides on the conformation of lectins in solution. CD has demonstrated saccharide-induced conformational changes in the lectins from Canavalia ensiformis (7), Dolichos biflorus (8), Ricinus communis (9), and Triticum vulgaris (10). The present study uses circular dichroism to assess the secondary structure of SBA and to measure conformational transitions induced by the saccharides which bind to this lectin. These and previous studies will contribute to a clearer understanding of the unique properties of these sugar-binding proteins. 

Indeed, in biological systems the interactions between cell surface carbohydrates and sugar-binding proteins are of polyvalent nature. Although low affinity and poor specificity are intrinsic in protein binding, carbohydrates... 

The first compound of this class (39) was synthesized to test its applicability in photoaffinity labeling of sugar-binding proteins. Cyclocondensation of the or-D-galactopyranosylmethyl ketone (37) with ammonia and hydroxyl-amine (9-sulfonic acid followed by oxidation with iodine in the presence of triethylamine gave 39 (85MI3) (Scheme 5). 

To study the relation between structure and photoaffinity labeling of sugar-binding proteins, a number of diazirine acyclo C-nucleosides (40-42) have been synthesized using a similar sequence to that shown in Scheme 5 (93MI5). 

Tiwari, V., Shukla, S. Y., and Shukla, D. (2009). A sugar binding protein cyanovirin-N blocks herpes simplex virus type-1 entry and cell fusion. Antiviral Res. 84,67-75. 

Eectins are made up of a group of sugar-binding proteins widely found in plants and animals. Concanavalin A (Con A) is isolated from jack bean Canavalia ensiformis) and is studied extensively among lectins. Con A (molecular mass 104.000) is known to contain four identical binding... 

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