Quantification of lectin in freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) hemolymph by ELISA

An enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay was developed to quantify the lectin present in the hemolymph of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii . This method involves the use of murine monoclonal IgG1 with kappa light c hain (designated as 3G1) antibodies raised against the purified lectin, the assay that we developed recognized as little as 30 ng/ml of lectin, and wa s used to measure the lectin concentration in animals at different maturati on stages. The highest concentration of lectin was identified in the hemoly mph from post-larval prawns and the lowest in molt stage adult animals. The hemagglutination activity of the lectin was four-fold higher in adult than in juvenile specimens, although in all cases N-acetylated sugar residues, such as N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, and N-acetyl-D-ne uraminic acid were inhibitors of the lectin activity, suggesting that lecti n plays a role in the transport of N-acetylated sugar in juvenile prawns. O ur results indicate that lectin concentration and hemagglutinating activity could be influenced by developmental conditions of the freshwater prawn. ( C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.