PURIFICATION AND COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF CELL-SURFACE LECTINS FROM HEMAGGLUTINATION-INDUCING AND INACTIVE AZOSPIRILLUM CELLS

Surface lectins have been purified by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration fro m Azospirillum brazilense Sp. 7, A. braziliense Sp. 75, A. lipoferum S p. 59b, and A, lipoferum Sp. 43. The method provided maximal efficienc y of protein separation. Bacterial cells incapable of inducing hemaggl utination (inactive) were shown to bear surface proteins antigenically similar to lectins of hemagglutination-inducing (active) Azospirillum cells. Inactive A, braziliense Sp. 7 and A. lipoferum Sp. 59b cells w ere demonstrated by electrophoresis to contain several proteins absent from the surface of their active counterparts. These proteins were sh own to inhibit hemagglutination induced by active Azospirillum cells.