• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.337-346
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• 2005

Objective: The oligosaccharide moieties of glycoproteins and proteoglycans have a vital function in blastocyst differentiation. Concanavalin (ConA), a lectin, is known to bind on the preimplantation embryos, especially on blastocyst. In this study, we investigated whether ConA can modulate the trophoblast development and about the regulating mediator. Also, we investigated whether expansion is enough for hatching procession of the mouse blastocyst. Method: Embryos were collected at 72 h post hCG injection and chemicals were treated after 24 h (96 hr post hCG injection). ConA or calcium ionophore A23187 were exposed to blastocyst and than analysis the developmental process for 48 hr. Intracellular free-$Ca^{2+}$ concentration in trophectoderm was measured with confocal laser microscope after exposing to ConA or calcium ionophore A23187. ConA-pretreated blastocyst exposed to the calcium ionophore A23187 and then analyzed the developmental process. Otherwise ouabain was treated to the blastocyst to block the $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase activity. Results: In contrast to the control blastocyst, the ConA-exposed blastocysts developed beyond the expansion stage with significantly high rate (90.4%) at 12 h post administration. ConA induced an increase the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in trophectoderm. Calcium ionophore A23187 also stimulated expansion of blastocyst. Most of the control blastocysts developed to the hatching stage at 144 h post hCG injection. However, strongly 65% of the ConA-exposed embryos were arrested at expanded stage at same time point. The developmental progression rates to hatching stage of both ConA- and calcium ionophore A23187-expose blastocysts were significantly lower than that of the control. However ConA-pretreated embryos developed to the hatching stage like control embryos. Ouabain showed a tendency to delayed the progress to expansion stage but did not inhibit the development to the hatching stage. Conclusion: ConA-mediated expansion is the result of the increase of intracellular free-calcium in blastocyst stage embryo. It is suspected that expansion of the blasocyst is a essential indirect factor in hatching and the calcium may triggering the cellular mechanisms for the both expansion and hatching progression.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.207-216
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• 1991

Pseudixus japonicus agglutinin (PJA) was isolated. And its characteristics were compared with those of concanavalin A (Con A). PJA is a glycopritein composed of 49.3% carbohydrate and 50.7% protein which had relatively high percentages of glutamic acid, aspartic acid and phenylalanine residues. The hemagglutinating activity of PJA was approximately one-eighth of that of Con A when tested with mouse crythrocytes. PJA failed to simulate the proliferation or transformation of human and mouse lymphocytes in contratst to Con A. PJA and Con A showed cytotoxicities against SNU-1 (human stomach cancer cells), SNU-CI (human colon cancer cells) and mouse Sarcoma 180 cells when tested by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)2. 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MIT) colorimetric assay. The antitumor activity of the lectin in vivo was also tested in Sarcoma 180 bearing mice. There was no significant difference in prologation of lifc span of the mice after the treatment with PJA and Con A for 10 consecutive days.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2008

Differentiation of blastocyst is critical step for implantation and is under the control of regulation factors originated from embryo or reproductive tracts. The sequential communication with those factors is suspected as critical events for differentiation. It has been suggested that intracellular signaling pathways activated by calcium is essential in differentiation of blastocyst. Previously, it was known that concanavalin A (Con A) increase the levels of free calcium in blastocyst stage. However, Con A can not accelerate the hatching, although heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), a modulator of calcium level, accelerate the hatching of blastocyst. In this study, it was investigated whether Con A or prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) can modulate the differentiation of blastocyst. Con A accelerated the expansion of blastocyst in both 1 hr pulse treatment group and continuous treatment group. However, Con A significantly suppressed the hatching in both groups. The inhibition was significantly strong in continuous treatment group compared with 1 hr pulse treatment group. On the other hand, $PGE_2$ induced the increase the free calcium level, but did not accelerate the expansion. In addition $10{\mu}m\;PGE_2$ inhibited hatching. However, $PGE_2$ could accelerate hatching in Con A pretreated blastocyst. $PGE_2$ also caused the increase of free calcium level in Con A pretreated blastocyst. From these results, it is suggested that changes of the free calcium level induce a different calcium-mediated signaling pathways. In addition, sequential stimulation by signal molecules may triggers the cellular mechanisms for the differentiation of blastocyst.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2106-2112
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• 2018

Concanavalin A (ConA) interacts with carbohydrates as a lectin, and recent reports proposed its application for detecting a diversity of viruses and pathogens. Structural studies have detailed the interaction between ConA and carbohydrates and the metal coordination environment with manganese and calcium ions (Mn-Ca-ConA). In this study, ConA was crystallized with a cadmium-containing precipitant, and the refined structure indicates that $Mn^{2+}$ was replaced by $Cd^{2+}$ (Cd-Ca-ConA). The structural comparison with ConA demonstrates that the metal-coordinated residues of Cd-Ca-ConA, that is Glu8, Asp10, Asn14, Asp19, and His24, do not have conformational shifts, but residues for sugar binding, including Arg228, Tyr100, and Leu99, reorient their side chains, slightly. Previous studies demonstrated that excess cadmium ions can coordinate with other residues, including Glu87 and Glu183, which were not coordinated with $Cd^{2+}$ in this study. The trimeric ConA in this study coordinated $Cd^{2+}$ with other residues, including Asp80 and Asp82, for complex generation. The monomer does not have specific interaction near interface regions with the other monomer, but secondary cadmium coordinated with two aspartates (Asp80 and Asp82) from monomer 1 and one aspartate (Asp16) from monomer 2. This study demonstrated that complex generation was induced via coordination with secondary $Cd^{2+}$ and showed the application potential regarding the design of complex formation for specific interactions with target saccharides.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.2241-2244
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• 2017

The structure of concanavalin A (ConA) has been studied intensively owing to its specific interactions with carbohydrates and its heterometal ($Ca^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$) coordination. Most structures from X-ray crystallography have shown ConA as a dimer or tetramer, because the complex formation requires specific crystallization conditions. Here, we reported the monomeric structure of ConA with a resolution of $1.6{\AA}$, which revealed that metal coordination could trigger sugar-binding ability. The calcium coordination residue, Asn14, changed the orientation of carbohydrate-binding residues and biophysical details, including structural information, providing valuable clues for the development and application of detection kits using ConA.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.171-180
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• 1986

The effects of proteases, neuraminidase and EDTA on adhesion of amoebae on the substratum, ultrastructure and biochemical composition of the cell surface were studied by concanavalin A (con A) cytochemistry and SDS PAGE. By con A cytochemistry the glycocalyx of the plasmalemma was easily subdivided into outer filamentous (F) layer and the inner amorphous (A) layer. On treatment with neuraminidase, amoebae attached to the substratum and spreaded better than untreated cells exposing the more con A binding sites in A- and F-layer. When the cells were treated with trypsin or proteinase K, cells stayed unattached for 12 and 48 hr, respectively. Con A binding sites of A layer and all of those glycoproteins were removed by proteinase K. On the other hand, trypsin damaged all of the con A binding sites in both A- and F-layer without significant change in PAS-stained profile of the plasmalemma. Some of the mucopolysaccharides of the cell surface were released by these enzymes and EDTA. When the cells were incubated with monovalent con A they did not attch on the substratum and cytolysed. From these results adhesion of amoebae on the substratum appears to be mediated by the interaction of the glycoproteins and mucopolysaccharides of the A layer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.323-323
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• 2022

Jack bean [Canavalia ensiformis (L.)], belonging to the Leguminosae family has been frequently used in edible and medicinal plants in Asian countries. Jack beans are high in protein which is approximately 30%. Concanavalin A (Con A) is a major protein of Jack bean and belongs to the family of legume lectins. It has inhibitory effect on hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing autophagy. However, Con A negatively affects nutrient utilization by other mechanisms. It binds to the glycoproteins and glycolipids of the digestive tract mucosa, inhibits the activity of the enzymes of the brush border of the enterocytes. In order to use Jack bean young seedpods, they are restricted to 'young pods (soft, pre-swelling)' according to the 'Food Code' (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety). Therefore, in this study, we investigated the quantitative change of Con A across developmental stages of Jack bean pods. Biological samples consisted of Jack bean pods and seeds in 7 stages of development. The expression pattern of Con A mRNA was monitored by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Expression of Con A proteins was analyzed by western blotting. The expression of Con A mRNA and protein in the seeds tended to increase gradually as the seeds expanded. However, in pods, they were much less than in seeds. As the expression of Con A mRNA and protein increases as the pods thicken, it is predicted that Con A synthesis increases when the thickness growth of the pod begins after the length growth of the pod is completed. Since the expression of Con A in the pods and seeds in very low when the pods are about 2 cm, therefore 2 cm pods seem appropriate when using 'young pods'. It is also necessary to study other proteins in Jack bean, such as Urease and Canavalin. These studies will serve as the basis for processing Jack bean.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.208-213
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• 1999

The effects of five lupane-triterpenoids from leaves of two Acanthopanax spp., chiisanogenin, chisanoside and $22{\alpha}-hydroxychiisanogenin$, acakoreoside A and acantrifoside A on the mitogen-induced proliferation were investigated in vitro. T cell proliferation (TCP) to concanavalin A (Con A) and the B cell proliferation (BCP) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were increased by chiisanogenin. TCP to Con A was significantly increased by chiisanoside and acankoreoside A, but not affected by chiisanogenin, $22{\alpha}-hydroxychiisanogenin$ and acantrifoside A, BCP to LPS was significantly increased by acankoreoside A and acantrifoside A, and slightly increased by chiisanoside, chiisanogenin and $22{\alpha}-hydroxychiisanogenin$.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.245-249
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• 1986

The present study has been carried out to investigate the optimal condition on the blastogenesis of guinea pig lymphocytes. A microculture system in conjunction with a semiautomatic multiple sample harvester(SAMSH) was used to study the in vito optimal condition of guinea pig lymphocytes. Data were presented to show many variables that are Involved in studying the responses of guinea pig lymphocyte in a microculture system to the stimulation of Concanavalin A(Con A) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Analysis indicated that the conditions for optimal Con A as measured by incorporation of $^3H$-TdR include : (1) use of RPMI-1640 as culture medium, (2) use of $6{\mu}g$ of Con A, per culture, (3) use of $1{\times}10^6$ cells per culture. Conditions for optimal stimulation with LPS mitogen were similar to those used for Con A.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.291-296
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• 2000

To evaluate the biological effects of boxthorn (Lycium chinense Mill.) extracts on the immune response systems, the mitogenic effects were tested by LPS (lipopolysaccharide) and Con A (concanavalin A) using water extracts from various parts of Lycium chinense Mill. The proliferation of B-lymphocytes which were activated by the mitogen, LPS, was markedly increased in the concentration of 0.1mg/ml to 0.5mg/ml, but inhibited in more than 0.5mg/ml. It increased only proliferation of B-lymphocytes but not that of T-lymphocytes by Con A. There was no difference between boxthorn species in immune response. Water extracts of various parts in boxthorn enhanced the humoral immune response which was related to B-lymphocytes.