We research on carbohydrate-binding proteins (Lectin) in marine invertebrates as polifera, echiura, echinoderm, and mollusuk. Marine invertebrates adapt in aquatic environmets against enemys, hosts, chemicals, and physics conditions. These proteins control themselves and act for important biological functions.
Some marine organisms are expected as useful biochemical resources whch develop our health. Thiese proteins is also seemed to be industrial targets after genome project. Students obtain here biochemical skills for proteins of marine animals through the researchs as protein purification, primary structure analysis, and functional study with advanced instruments.
Glycoconjugates, as glycoprotein, glycolipids, and proteoglycans are important molecules for living system. As ABO-blood type, some of oligosaccharides are essential for biological recognition systems. Oligosaccharides structures also change sometimes through the development and disease of animals. Specific receptor may interact with glycans on cell membrane and body fluids through protein-glycan interaction.
Lectin is a excellent protein, which can read the structure of oligosaccharide of glycoconjugates and chatch specifically and non-covalently. They function to cell-cell interactions, body defences, and cellar proliferations. We purify and identify newly lectins from lower animals and try to appare their physiological role and apply it for our life.