Interaction of concanavalin A with an arabinogalactan from the cell wall of Mycobacterium bovis.

The arabinogalactan isolated from the cell wall of Mycobacterium bovis reacts to form a precipitate with concanavalin A, the phytohemagglutinin of the jack bean. A typical precipitin-like curve is obtained when increasing amounts of the polysaccharide are added to a constant quantity of concanavalin A. Inhibitor studies suggest that concanavalin A reacts with the arabinogalactan by interacting with the C-2, C-3, and C-5 hydroxyl groups of the alpha-d-arabinofuranosyl residues situated at the chain ends of this polysaccharide.