L-29, an endogenous lectin, binds to glycoconjugate ligands with positive cooperativity.

The soluble mammalian lactose-binding lectins L-14-I and L-29 are both secreted and bind to oligosaccharides on laminin, a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein containing polylactosamine chains. Because of the potential functional significance of these lectin-laminin interactions, we compared quantitative aspects of L-14-I and L-29 binding to immobilized laminin using recombinant lectins labeled with 125I. We report that the concentration-dependent binding of L-29 exhibits positive cooperativity whereas binding of L-14-I does not. Cooperative binding of L-29 can also occur on glycoconjugate substrates other than laminin and is not dependent on cystine bond formation or aggregation in solution. L-29 contains repetitive sequences within the N-terminal domain not present in L-14-I. This domain is not required for binding activity, but is required for positive cooperativity. Though the precise mechanism of interaction of L-29 with laminin remains to be determined, it apparently results in assembly of a lectin aggregate on the substrate surface, which could have important functional consequences.