Study of a lectin from ganoderma lucidum

Abstract

Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins found in virtually all groups of living organisms. They find applications in (1) isolation of glycoproteins, (2) structural studies of carbohydrates, (3) identification of cell surface sugars and (4) detection of cell surface changes during differential, development and malignancy. The biological role of lectins is a consequence of their biding to the cell surface carbohydrates. Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known medicinal mushroom and many health-promoting and therapeutic effects have been attributed to this mushroom. Lectins from several pathogenic fungi have also been studied in detail but their physiological role has not been ascertained or remains uncertain. It is therefore essential to know the specificity of the lectins to explore their physiological role. In this thesis, we describe the isolation and characterization of a novel 114 kDa hexameric lectin from the fruiting body of G. lucidum.