Isolation of a new heterodimeric lectin with mitogenic activity from fruiting bodies of the mushroom Agrocybe cylindracea.

From the dried fruiting bodies of the mushroom Agrocybe cylindracea a heterodimeric lectin with a molecular weight of 31.5 kDa and displaying high hemagglutinating activity was isolated. The molecular weights of its subunits were 16.1 kDa and 15.3 kDa respectively. The larger and the smaller subunits resembled Agaricus bisporus lectin and fungal immunomodulatory protein from Volvariella volvacea respectively in N-terminal sequence. The lectin was adsorbed on DEAE-cellulose in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4) and was eluted by the same buffer containing 150 mM NaCl. It was adsorbed on SP-Sepharose in 10 mM NH4OAc (pH 4.5) and eluted by approximately 0.19 M NaCl in the same buffer. The lectin was obtained in a purified form after the mushroom extract had been subjected to (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and the two aforementioned ion exchange chromatographic steps. The lectin exhibited potent mitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes. The hemagglutinating activity of the lectin was inhibited by lactose, sialic acid and inulin.