Recombinant banana lectin as mucosal immunostimulator

Abstract

To explore the potential usage of recombinant banana lectin as an immunostimulator it was of interest to analyze the effect it exerted in vivo in mice, upon two different routes of exposure. By Western blotting analysis of the gastric and intestinal luminal content it was found that recombinant banana lectin is stable in vivo in the mouse digestive tract, where it specifically interacts with the mucosal surfaces which can be inhibited by the addition of glucose. Its attachment to mice jejunum has been confirmed by immunofluorescence. In addition, it was able to induce systemic immunity, evidenced by specific antibody production, by oral application, a property that might be exploited for the induction of systemic immune responses. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.