Abstract
The complete primary structure of the .alpha. chain of the glucose- and mannose-specific lectin from L. sativus seeds was determined. The structure was elucidated by Edman degradation on the whole chain as well as on fragments derived from cleaving the chain with BNPS-skatole [3-bromo-3-methyl-2-(2-nitrophenylthio)-3H-indole] and of peptides derived after tryptic digestion of the citraconylated chain. The analyses revealed a heterogeneity in the chain length (53 or 55 residues) and a microheterogeneity in positions 47 (aspartic acid and glycine). The sequence was highly homologous to the .alpha. chain of the lectin from L. odoratus.