Triticum vulgaris Lectin (WGA) - AP (Alkaline Phosphatase)

    Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) is a lectin that is affinity purified from Triticum vulgaris and non-enzymatically binds to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and sialic acid residues of glycoproteins and glycolipids. This lectin protects Triticum vulgaris from insects, yeast and bacteria. WGA consists of two subunits and has a molecular weight of 36 kDa. It is an acidic protein and has mitogenic activity toward lymphocytes. It agglutinates erythrocytes and most types of malignant cells. 

   Similar to insulin, WGA enhances the rate of glucose oxidation in isolated fat cells and is used for isolation and fractionation of insulin receptors. A recent time-of-addition study made it evident that WGA inhibits infection with SARS-CoV-2 by inhibiting replication when the lectin is incubated with the virus and added to cells during infection. The data from the same study indicated the mode of action is an interaction between WGA and the viral envelope, causing neutralization of the virus. It is possible this occurs via the highly glycosylated spike proteins. WGA has been used in oral squamous cell carcinoma staining techniques to test the degree of cell cohesion. It has been shown to inhibit melanoma cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Cytotoxic activity on cancer cell lines is characteristic of WGA. The effects of its binding have been studied in a plethora of cancers including but not limited to hepatoma, choriocarcinoma, osteosarcoma, and some pancreatic cancers. 

     Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is conjugated to Triticum vulgaris Lectin (WGA) to show the binding of WGA in many applications including Western blotting and ELISA. Alkaline phosphatase is a large protein (140 kDa) that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphate groups from a substrate resulting in a colored or fluorescent product. The optimal enzymatic activity of this protein is between pH 8 and 10, and its reaction rate remains linear, improving sensitivity over time.

bioWORLD's products are supplied for LABORATORY RESEARCH USE ONLY. The product may not be used as a drug, agricultural or pesticidal product, food additive or as a household chemical

Specifications:

• Activity: 10 µg/ml will agglutinate human erythrocytes nonspecifically.

Storage Instruction: To prevent degradation and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, aliquot your product into small, single-use volumes and store them at -20°C

Application

Blotting, Glycobiology, Immunocytochemistry, Immunohistochemistry, Immunofluorescence, Mitogenic Stimulation

References

Auth, J., Fröba, M., Große, M., Rauch, P., Ruetalo, N., Schindler, M., Morokutti-Kurz, M., Graf, P., Dolischka, A., Prieschl-Grassauer, E., Setz, C., & Schubert, U. (2021). Lectin from Triticum vulgaris (WGA) Inhibits Infection with SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants of Concern Alpha and Beta. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(19), 10205. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910205

Johnson, R. J., Simpson, S., Van Epps, D. E., & Chenoweth, D. E. (1992). Wheat germ agglutinin inhibits the C5a receptor interaction: implications for receptor microheterogeneity and ligand binding site. Journal of leukocyte biology, 52(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/jlb.52.1.3

Loréa, P., Goldschmidt, D., Darro, F., Salmon, I., Bovin, N., Gabius, H. J., Kiss, R., & Danguy, A. (1997). In vitro characterization of lectin-induced alterations on the proliferative activity of three human melanoma cell lines. Melanoma research, 7(5), 353–363. https://doi.org/10.1097/00008390-199710000-00001

Schwarz, R. E., Wojciechowicz, D. C., Picon, A. I., Schwarz, M. A., & Paty, P. B. (1999). Wheatgerm agglutinin-mediated toxicity in pancreatic cancer cells. British journal of cancer, 80(11), 1754–1762. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6690593

Silveyra, E., Bologna-Molina, R., Gónzalez-Gónzalez, R., & Arocena, M. (2021). The Tissue Architecture of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Visualized by Staining Patterns of Wheat Germ Agglutinin and Structural Proteins Using Confocal Microscopy. Cells, 10(9), 2466. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10092466

Wang, H., Ng, T. B., Ooi, V. E., & Liu, W. K. (2000). Effects of lectins with different carbohydrate-binding specificities on hepatoma, choriocarcinoma, melanoma and osteosarcoma cell lines. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology, 32(3), 365–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1357-2725(99)00130-2