The amino acid sequence of the agglutinin isolated from the red marine alga Bryothamnion triquetrum defines a novel lectin structure

The primary structure of a lectin isolated from the red alga Bryothamnion t riquetrum? was established by combination of Edman degradation of sets of o verlapping peptides and mass spectrometry. It contains 91 amino acids and t wo disulphide bonds. The primary structure of the B. triquetrum lectin does not show amino acid sequence similarity with known plant and animal lectin structures. Hence, this protein may be the paradigm of a novel lectin fami ly.