Abstract
Escherichia coli cells transformed with the expression plasmid pLlec9 synthesize leucoagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (PHA–L) encoded by a nuclear gene of Phaseolus vulgaris. Pure, unglycosylated PHA–L can be isolated by affinity chromatography from lysates of these bacteria. The E. coli synthesized PHA–L (Eco PHA–L) appears to be tetrameric and resembles deglycosylated, processed PHA–L from bean seed in its subunit molecular weight. Eco PHA–L agglutinates human peripheral blood lymphocytes at concentrations as low as 0.5 μg/ml, and its specific mitogenicity exceeds that of commercially available PHA–L. At levels up to 450 μg/ml, Eco PHA–L does not agglutinate human type–0 erythrocytes.
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Hoffman, L., Donaldson, D. Synthesis of Mitogenic Phytohemagglutinin–L in Escherichia Coli. Nat Biotechnol 5, 157–160 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0287-157
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0287-157