Triticum vulgaris Lectin (WGA) - Macrobeads

Wheat germ lectin (WGA) is an affinity-purified lectin from wheat that binds to non-enzymes of glycoproteins and glycolipid n-acetyl-D-glucosamine and sialic acid residues. This lectin protects common wheat from insects, yeast and bacteria. WGA consists of two subunits with a molecular weight of 36kda. It is an acidic protein with mitotic activity on lymphocytes. It can agglutinate red blood cells and most malignant cells. Similar to insulin, WGA increases the rate of glucose oxidation in isolated fat cells and can be used to isolate and isolate insulin receptors. A recent addition time study showed that when lectins are incubated with viruses and added to cells during infection, WGA inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection by inhibiting replication. Data from the same study suggest that the mode of action is the interaction between WGA and the viral envelope, leading to neutralization of the virus. This may occur through highly glycosylated spike proteins. WGA has been used in oral squamous cell carcinoma staining techniques to detect the degree of cell cohesion. It has been shown to inhibit melanoma cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Cytotoxic activity against cancer cells is a characteristic of WGA. Its binding effects have been studied in many cancers, including but not limited to liver cancer, choriocarcinoma, osteosarcoma, and some pancreatic cancers. The Separopore® large bead is larger than the average agarose bead size (160-250 microns) and promotes the coupling of cells and organelles and enzymes. The configuration and stability of the affinity purified common wheat lectin (WGA) are optimized by fixing it on 4% agar-agar spheres.