ELDERBERRY (SAMBUCUS-NIGRA) CONTAINS TRUNCATED NEU5AC(ALPHA-2,6)GAL GALNAC-BINDING TYPE-2 RIBOSOME-INACTIVATING PROTEINS/

Analysis of affinity-purified preparations of the fetuin-binding prote ins from elderberry bark and fruits revealed besides the previously re ported Neu5Ac(alpha-2,6)Gal/GalNAc-specific type 2 ribosome-inactivati ng proteins (RIP) the occurrence of single chain proteins of 22 kDa, w hich according to their N-terminal a!nino acid sequence correspond to the second part of the B chain of the respective type 2 RIP, Both prot eins are very similar except that the polypeptides of the fruit lectin are 10 amino acid residues longer than these from the bark lectin, Ou r findings not only demonstrate the occurrence of carbohydrate-binding fragments of type :! RIP but also provide further evidence that type 2 RIP genes give rise to complex mixtures of type 2 RIP/lectins in eld erberry. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.