Agaricus bisporus agglutinin (ABA) isolated from edible mushroom has a potent anti-proliferative effect on malignant colon cells with considerable therapeutic potential as an anti-neoplastic agent. Since previous studies on the structural requirement for binding were limited to molecular or submolecular levels of Galbeta1-3GalNAc (T; Thomsen-Friedenreich disaccharide glycotope; where Gal represents D-galactopyranose and GalNAc represents 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranose) and its derivatives, the binding properties of ABA were further investigated using our collection of glycans by enzyme-linked lectinosorbent assay and lectin-glycan inhibition assay. The results indicate that polyvalent Galbeta1-related glycotopes, GalNAcalpha1-Ser/Thr (Tn), and their cryptoforms, are the most potent factor for ABA binding. They were up to 5.5x10(5) and 4.7x10(6) times more active than monomeric T and GalNAc respectively. The affinity of ABA for ligands can be ranked as: multivalent T (alpha) (Galbeta1-3GalNAcalpha1-), Tn and I / II (Galbeta1-3GlcNac/Galbeta1-4GlcNAc, where GlcNAc represents 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose)>monomeric T (alpha) and Tn > I >GalNAc> II, L (Galbeta1-4Glc, where Glc represents D-glucopyranose) and Gal (inactive). These specific binding features of ABA establish the importance of affinity enhancement by high-density polyvalent (versus multiantennary I / II) glycotopes and facilitate our understanding of the lectin receptor recognition events relevant to its biological activities.
