Three soluble rat beta-galactoside-binding lectins.

Both immature and adult rat lungs contain three prominent soluble beta-galactoside-binding proteins with subunit Mr approximately 14,500, 18,000, and 29,000 rather than only the one noted previously. They are readily resolved by ion-exchange chromatography, and antibodies raised against them show little cross-reaction. The three proteins were also found in immature heart, skeletal muscle, and liver, but only the protein with subunit Mr approximately 14,500 was found in these tissues in young adults.