USE OF CAPILLARY AFFINITY ELECTROPHORESIS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF LECTIN SUGAR INTERACTIONS

Capillary affinity electrophoresis was used to study the interactions of lectins from Tetragonolobus purpureas with L-(-)-fucose 1-phosphate . The electrophoretic mobilities of three lectin peaks were influenced by the complexation with the negatively charged fucose derivative. A model that allows the calculation of the complex formation constant fr om the change in mobility at different concentrations of fucose 1-phos phate has been derived. Calcium ions added to the buffer solution prom oted the complex formation of the three lectins. This technique requir ed only minute amounts of the lectins and enabled the simultaneous stu dy of the complex formation of several proteins. (C) 1994 Academic Pre ss, Inc.