Agglutination activity is expressed in µg/mL and is determined from serial dilutions of a 1 mg/mL solution. This activity is the lowest concentration to agglutinate a 2% suspension of human erythrocytes in phosphate buffered saline, pH 6.8, after 1 hr incubation at 25 °C.
Application
Lectin from Phaseolus vulgaris (red kidney bean) is used in Lymphocyte Transformation Assay and culture medium.
Biochem/physiol Actions
PHA consists of two molecular species, an erythroagglutinin (PHA-E) which has low mitogenic activity and high erythroagglutinin activity, and leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) which has high mitogenic and leucoagglutinating activity, but very low erythroagglutinating activity. PHA-E is not blood group specific, but agglutination can be inhibited by certain oligosaccharides. PHA-P is the protein form of PHA prior to separation and purification of erythroagglutinin and leucoagglutinin. PHA-M is the mucoprotein form. Conjugates are prepared from the corresponding purified lectins.