Evidence that a human soluble beta-galactoside-binding lectin is encoded by a family of genes.

Two cDNA clones were isolated by immunoscreening a human hepatoma cDNA library with an antiserum that bound specifically to a human soluble beta-galactoside-binding lectin with Mr of approximately 14,000. The deduced amino acid sequences of the inserts of these two clones show considerable homology with each other, the sequence of chicken skin beta-galactoside-binding lectin, and eight peptides derived from purified human lung lectin of Mr approximately 14,000. However, the sequence differences between the two hepatoma clones as well as among each clone and the lung peptides suggest that at least three variants of the gene encoding this lectin are expressed in human tissue.