Carbohydrate-Dependent Hemolytic Activity of the Conjugate Composed of a C-Type Lectin, CEL-I, and an Amphiphilic α-Helical Peptide, 4₃-βAla₂

Abstract

  A lectin-cationic peptide conjugate, 4₃-CEL-I, was prepared from an invertebrate C-type lectin, CEL-I, and an amphiphilic α-helical peptide, 4₃-βAla₂ [Ac-(Leu-Ala-Arg-Leu)₃-βAla₂]. When 4₃-CEL-I was incubated with rabbit erythrocytes, hemolysis was observed, especially at basic pH. Inhibition experiment using some carbohydrates suggested that hemolytic activity of 4₃-CEL-I was caused by the interaction between 4₃-βAla₂ portion in the conjugate and the lipid bilayer after binding to the carbohydrate chains on the cell surface by the lectin activity of CEL-I.