Characterisation of a haemagglutinin from Hokkaido red bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Hokkaido red bean)

BACKGROUND: A haemagglutinin was purified from Japanese Hokkaido red beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Hokkaido red bean) with a procedure that included three chromatographic media. RESULTS: Haemagglutinating activity was adsorbed on DEAE cellulose, Affi‐gel blue gel and Mono S. The pure haemagglutinin was a homodimer and each subunit was around 30 kDa in molecular mass. The haemagglutinating activity of this agglutinin could not be inhibited by a variety of simple sugars at 200 mmol L −1 concentration including α‐ L ‐fucose, D (+)‐galactose, D (+)‐glucose, D (+)‐glucosamine, D (−)galactosamine, galacturonic acid, (+)‐lactose, D (+)‐melibose, L (−)‐mannose, D (+)‐mannose, D ‐mannosamine, D (+)‐raffinose, L ‐rhamnose, (+)‐xylose and galacturonic acid. The haemagglutinating activity was fully retained at pH 4–11 and at 0–80 °C, but was completely lost at extreme pH values (0–2 and 13–14) and at very high temperatures (90 °C and 100 °C). The haemagglutinin exhibited a weak mitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes, a stronger anti‐proliferative activity than Con A toward HepG2 (human hepatoma) cells and inhibited >80% of HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity at 3.3 µmol L −1 . It was devoid of anti‐fungal activity. CONCLUSION: Hokkaido red bean haemagglutinin possesses a potent anti‐proliferative effect on HepG2 cells. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry