Ulex europaeus Lectin Production Service

CD BioGlyco has specialized in Natural Lectin extraction and purification for many years, providing comprehensive, fast, and efficient services to clients in various countries. Three different substances are isolated and identified from Ulex europaeus, named Ulex europaeus lectin (UEA-I, II, III).

UEA Extraction and Purification Service at CD BioGlyco

Extraction of Ulex europaeus seed

We choose full, smooth Ulex europaeus seeds and ground them into powder. Soak in excess saline and extract with stirring. Then, the extractions are filtered and centrifuged. Dialysis in the PEG solution and obtain the crude extract. Our trained production team optimizes and adjusts the time, temperature, and buffer concentration to ensure the maximum yield.

Purification of crude extract

The crude extract solution is saturated with the ammonium sulfate solution to adjust the pH. After 24h at 4°C, the sediments are recovered by centrifugation. Dissolve in normal saline and dialysis to remove residual ammonium sulfate. The dialysate is purified using an affinity chromatography column with bulk buffer washing the column. Bound lectins are eluted with L-fucose in PBS. The eluate is monitored at all times with a spectrophotometer at 280 nm. Lectins not bound to the column are recovered, concentrated, pooled, and reapplied to the column. The collected components are dialyzed and stored by lyophilization.

Fig.1 Flow chart of extraction and purification of UEA. (CD BioGlyco)

Publication

Paper Title: Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I-based magnetic isolation for the efficient and specific capture of SW480 circulating colorectal tumor cells

Journal: ACS Omega

IF: 4.1

Published: 2022

Results: UEA-I was successfully modified on the surface of magnetic beads by chemistry, and UEA-I-modified Fe₃O₄ magnetic beads (MB-UEA-I) had specific recognition functions for α-1/2 focus-positive cancer cells. The results showed that MB-UEA-I was highly efficient and targeted to capture SW480 cells. Without capture, cell viability growth and reproduction capacity were not destroyed, which provided a reliable foundation for downstream studies such as gene expression, mutation, sequencing, etc. The MB-UEA-I-based cell sorting method efficiently and specifically captured the circulating tumor cells (CTC) of colorectal cancer (CRC). Furthermore, this method showed a close association with disease-associated CTCs. The isolation strategy based on MB-UEA-I is an invaluable tool for early diagnosis.

Fig.2 MB-UEA-I cell sensitivity and fluorescence analysis images. (Tian, et al., 2022)

Applications of UEA

UEA plays a key role in disease diagnosis of diseases as a histological marker of endothelial cells in human tissues.
UEA is a specific and more sensitive marker of endothelial cells in benign vascular lesions.
UEA is combined with a lipid carrier to improve intestinal digestion and absorption, and it is also used as a carrier for oral vaccines.
UEA is used to determine whether novel expression of α-L-fucose exists in the distal intestinal mucosa of subjects with or at risk of hereditary bowel cancer.

CD BioGlyco is a company specializing in providing Lectin Production Services. We have knowledgeable scientists and a well-equipped platform to help our clients accomplish their projects. To learn more about the manufacturing of UEA, please feel free to contact us.

References:

Harris-Smith, P.W.; Fletcher, S.M. Affinity-purified Ulex europaeus lectin: preparation and serological characteristics. J Forensic Sci Soc. 1983, 23(3): 225-31.
Li, K.; et al. Application of Ulex europaeus agglutinin I-modified liposomes for oral vaccine: Ex vivo bioadhesion and in vivo immunity. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2011, 59(5): 618-23.
Tian, R.; et al. Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I-based magnetic isolation for the efficient and specific capture of SW480 circulating colorectal tumor cells. ACS Omega. 2022, 7(34): 30405-30411.

This service is for Research Use Only, not intended for any clinical use.