Most people carry natural antibodies to PNA, although they do not interfere with its agglutinating properties. See: FEBS Lett 1996 Nov 18;397(2-3):139-42 A glucose-specific lectin has been purified to apparent homogeneity from 7-day-old peanut (Arachis hypogaea) roots. See: Biochim Biophys Acta 1992 Sep 15;1117(2):114-9 For a discussion of possible role of lectin in atherogenicity of peanut oil, see: Lipids 1998 Aug;33(8):821-3 The lectin is widely used for the identification and separation of lymphocyte subpopulations in bone marrow transplantation and is a powerful tool in immunology. See: Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 1979 (76); 447-451
Biological Activity:
T-blood group, blood group Gy see: Annal NY Acad. Sci. 1970 (169) 168-90 PNA agglutinates all human erythrocytes equally well after they have been treated with neuraminidase. It does not agglutinate untreated or typsinized human erythrocytes. See:J. Biol. Chem. 1975 (250) 8518-8523 Other cells, such as lymphocytes in man, rat, mouse or guinea pig, are also agglutinated only after neuraminidase treatment. See: Method. Enzymol. 1978 (50); 361-367 PNA is a mitogen for human blood periferal lymphocytes, and its recpetors are widespread in human tissue. See: The Lectins: Properties, Functions and Applications in Biology and Medicine p. 33-247. Academic Press, Orlanda FL USA PNA is a Mitogen for colonic cells. See: Gastroenterol. 1994 (106); 117-124 Increased expression of Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen in colonic adenocarcinoma and ulcerative colitis muci can be detected using PNA. See: J. Clin Invest. 1995 (95); 571-576 PNA is allergenic and binds to meninigiomas. See: Histol. Pathol. 1994 (9); 535-540
