Abstract: A lectin with strong hemagglutinating and mitogenic activity was isolated from the seeds of Millettia pachycarpa Benth. by extraction, fraction with (NH4)2 804, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose and followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The purified leetin showed a single protein band on PAGE and SDS-PAGE, and exhibited a molecular weight of 40 700 by gel filtration and subunit of 19 800 on SDS-PAGE. It contained 1.78% neutral saceharide and enriched Asp, Glu, Thr, Set, Leu and also contained 4 Trp per molecule. It agglutinated rabbit red cell at 0.48 μg/mL and A,B,O types of blood. The reaction could be inhibited by thyroglobulin, muein gastrie and ovomucin, but not by saceharide. The hemagglutination was strongly dependant on Ca2 +, but was not enhanced by Mg2 + ,Mn2 + ,Zn2 +; The lectin was a strong mitogen for human peripheral blood lymphoeytes, showing a transformation rate and mitotic index of 84.3 % and 7.8 %,respectively.

Key words: Lectin, Millettia pachycarpa, Purification, Glyeoprotein