Concanavalin A Lectin (Con A) - Pure

Affinity purified concanavalin A (Con A) is composed of two identical subunits of 237 amino acid residues (MW: 26,000 without any cystine residues). While above pH 7 it is predominantly tetrameric, at pH 4.5 � 5.6, Con A binds two metal ions per monomer: transition metals, Mn2+ and Ca2+. Both ions are required for binding with optimum activity at a pH 7.0. Con A binds with non-reducing ?-D-glucose, ?-D-mannose and ?-methyl-D-glucopyranoside acts as a competitive inhibitor. Con A does not have a blood group specificity. It exhibits mitogenic activity with lymphocytes and cancer cells. While lymphocytes and cancer aggregate by Con A; normal white cells do not. Normal cells react to Con A after proteolytic treatment which suggests that trypsinization causes clustering of the reactive glycan residues on the membrane. Con A interacts with cell types include locust muscle fibers, adipocytes, and rat liver plasma membrane components. This lectin induces endoreduplication in mammalian cells