Lens Culinaris Agglutinin (LCA), Biotinylated

LCA recognizes sequences containing alpha-linked mannose residues, but recognizes additional sugars as part of the receptor structure, making its specificity narrower than that of Con a. The α-linked focused residues attached to the n-acetyl-chitosan portion of the core oligosaccharide significantly enhance the affinity. Using this narrow specificity, it is possible to decercate glycoproteins and glycopeptides with LCA after the initial isolation of Con a. Biotinylated Lens culinaris lectin has the right amount of biotin binding to provide optimal staining properties for this lectin. This conjugate contains essentially no unconjugated biotin and is preserved with sodium azide.