Ulex Europaeus Lectin 1: Proteins and Enzymes

Lectins are highly specific carbohydrate binding proteins useful in carbohydrate and cell membrane studies, as well as cell agglutination and typing techniques. Anti-Ulex Europaeus-I (UEA-I) Lectin is developed in rabbit using purified Ulex Europaeus-I lectin from gorse seeds as the immunogen. Anti-UEA-I Lectin is specific for UEA-I bound to vascular endothelium and squamous epithelium of human tonsil by indirect immunofluorescent staining. While erythrocytes may be stained,no other tonsilar elements are reactive with the antibody. Anti-UEA-I reacts with UEA-I bound to human endothelial cells of normal and neoplastic blood and lymphatic vessels. It also reacts with human epithelia such as in the colon, bronchus, epidermis, sweat gland ducts and hair follicles. Epithelia from other species may also react with the antibody. Anti-Ulex Europaeus-I Lectin may be used for studies of vascular structures in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue or frozen tissue preparations. The antibody may be useful in the detection of vascular tumors, the investigation of vascular invasion by tumor cells, for determination of UEA-I binding to normal, embryonal, dysplastic and neoplastic epithelia, and the study of storage diseases such as fucosidosis Ulex Europaeus-I Lectin is a 46 kDa glycoprotein known to interact with alpha-L fucosyl residues in oligosaccharides present on the membranes of human blood group O erythrocytes, human endothelial cells and a variety of human and animal epithelial cells.