Serum lectins from the scorpion Vaejovis spinigerus Wood bind sialic acids.

We have partially characterized the specificity of serum lectins from the scorpion Vaejovis spinigerus Wood. Agglutination, crossed-absorption and hemagglutination-inhibition patterns were similar but not identical to serum lectins from other members from the family Vaejovidae , and different from the Buthidae species studied so far. V. spinigerus serum lectins bind sialic acids and sialoconjugates , but also bind 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, uronic acids and N- acylaminosugars , all substances present in bacterial cell walls suggesting that they might be involved in defense functions.