Recombinant prokaryotic lectins : enhanced tools for glycoprotein analysis and purification

More than 50% of proteins are glycosylated and glycans are known to mediate a wide range of biological processes. With this knowledge, there has been an explosion of interest in the field of glycoproteomics. There is a need for tools that enable efficient isolation of glycoproteins from biological samples, where they are usually only present at low levels, to enable their identification and analysis. Changes in glycosylation ptterns of biomolecules and cells are also associated with many diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Tools capable of sensitive detection of such changes would have significant potential in the field of diagnosics. In addition, many biopharmaceuticals are glycosylated and the glycosylation impacts their clinical properties. The industry needs tools for sensitive product analysis and selective purification of op/mally glycosylated product to meet regulatory requirements and to bring safer, more effective ,products to patents. Recombinant Prokaryotic Lectins (RPL’s) offer new opportunities to develop enhanced glycoselective tools for glycoprotein analysis and purification and to overcome the limitations that have restricted the applications of plant lectins