Phaseolus vulgaris phytohemagglutinin contains high-mannose and modified oligosaccharide chains.

Phytohemagglutinin, the major lectin in the seeds of the common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L., was isolated by affinity chromatography from cotyledons of nearly mature seeds and from developing cotyledons labeled with [(3)H]glucosamine, [(3)H]mannose or [(3)H]fucose. The protein was subjected to exhaustive proteolysis and the carbohydrate composition of the resulting glycopeptides examined. Two classes of oligosaccharide side-chains were found. The sidechains of the first class are of the high-mannose type, containing two residues of N-acetylglucosamine and 8 or 9 mannose residues. The sidechains of the second class are of the modified type containing N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, fucose, xylose in molar ratios of 2:3.8:0.6:0.5. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis shows that phytohemagglutinin can be fractionated into seven different glycosylated polypeptides, and that each one contains at least one modified oligosaccharide chain. The results indicate that most glycosylated polypeptides probably contain one chain of each class. The carbohydrate composition of the two types of chains is similar to that found in other plant glycoproteins, but this is the first report of a plant glycoprotein with both highmannose and modified oligosaccharides on the same polypeptide chain.