Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Lectin Ingestion

Changes in Mucin Secretion and Bacterial Adhesion to Intestinal Tissue

  • Protocol
Lectin Methods and Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Medicine™ ((MIMM,volume 9))

  • 1846 Accesses

Abstract

Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), the lectin derived from red kidney been (Phaseolus vulgarus) causes reduced growth rates in several animal species, when incorporated at 0.5–5% of dietary protein. Lectin feeding results in diarrhea, impaired nutrient absorption, growth rate inhibition, and can even lead to the eventual death of PHA-fed animals. These effects are believed to result from changes in the autochthonous microflora induced by the presence of PHA in the diet, as germ-free animals do not display the same changes seen in conventional animals (1-11) Jayne-Williams’ (1,2) now classical studies in the quail clearly demonstrate this point. It is established that these adverse effects are the result of PHA-induced changes in the normal endogenous flora and are not due to lectin selection of specific pathogenic bacteria (9, 10) The major change appears in the levels of facultative aerobes, which increase in PHA-fed animals without an increase in obligate anaerobes (2,6). These observations separate the effects of PHA feeding from blind loop syndrome or other stressrelated changes in bacterial flora, in which anaerobic bacterial overgrowth is observed (12,13). Phytohemagglutinin feeding has also been observed to affect small intestinal growth (14).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jayne-Williams, D. T and Hewitt, D. (1972) The relationship between the intestinal microflora and the effects of diets containing raw navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) on the growth of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) J Appl Bacteriol 35,331–344

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jayne-Williams, D. T, and Burgess, C. D. (1974) Further observations on the toxicity of navy beans (Phaseolus vulgans) for Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) J Appl Bacteriol 37, 149–169

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hewitt, D, Coates, M E, Kakade. M. L and Liener, I E. (1976) A comparison of fractions prepared from navy (Haricot) beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) for germ free and conventional chicks Br J Nutr 29, 423–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Evans, R. J, Pusztai, A, Watt, W B and Bauer, D H (1973) Isolation and properties of protein fractions from navy beans (Phaseolus vulgarus) which inhrbit growth in rats Biochim Biophy Acta 303, 175–184

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wilson, A B, King, T P., Clarke, E M. W, and Pusztai, A (1980) Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgus) lectin-induced lesions in rat small intestine 2 Microbial studies J. Comp Pathol 90, 597–602

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Banwell, J G., Boldt, D H, Meyers, J, and Weber, F. L, Jr. (1983) Phytohemagglutinin derived from red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgarus) a cause for intestinal malabsorption with bacterial overgrowth in the rat Gastroenterology 84, 506–515

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Greer, F, Brewer, A C., and Pusztai, A (1985) Effect of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgarus) toxin on tissue weight and composition and some metabolic functions of rats Br J Nutr 54,95–103

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Banwell, J G., Howard, R., Cooper, D, and Costerton, J W (1985) Intestinal microbial flora after feeding phytohemagglutinin lectins (Phaseolus vulgarus) to rats Appl Environ Microbiol 50, 68–80

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ceri, H, Falkenberg-Anderson, K, Fang, R, Costerton, J W, Howard, R, and Banwell, J G (1988) Bacterial-lectin interactions in Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine Can J Microbiol 34, 1003–1008

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Banwell, J G, Howard, R, Kabir, I, and Costerton, J W (1988) Bacterial overgrowth by indigenous microflora in the phytohemagglutinin-fed rat Can J Microbiol 34, 1009–1013

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Banwell, J G., Howard, R, Costerton, W, Ceri, H, Falk, P, and Larson, G (1988) Chronic intestinal microbial Infection in the rat induced by dietary intake of phytohemagglutinin lectin, in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Current Status and Future Approach (MacDermott, R P ed), Elsevier, pp 609–614

    Google Scholar 

  12. Tannock, G W and Savage, D C (1974) Influences of dietary and environmental stress on microbial populations in the murine intestinal tract Infect Immunol 9,591–598

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Savage, D C (1977) Microbial ecology of the digestive tract Ann Rev Microbiol 31,107–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Banwell, J. G, Howard, R, Kabir, I, Adrian, T E, Diamond, R H, and Abromowsky, C (1993) Small intestinal growth caused by feeding red kidney bean phytohemagglutinin lectin to rats Gastroenterology 104, 1669–1677

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Boldt, D. H and Banwell, J G (1886) Binding of isolectins from red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) to purified rat brush boarder membranes Biochim Biophys Acta 843, 230–237

    Google Scholar 

  16. Pusztai, A, Clarke, E M. W, and King, T P (1979) The nutritional toxicity of Phaseolus vulgaris lectins Proc Nutr Sci 38, 115–120.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Pistole, T. G (1981) Interaction of bacteria and fungi with lectins and lectinlike substances Annu Rev Microbiol 35,85–112

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Pusztai, A., Grant, G, Spencer, R J, Duguid, T J, Brown, D S, Eiven, S W, Peumans, W J., Van Damme, E J, and Bardocz, S (1993) Kidney bean lectininduced Escherichia cold overgrowth in the small intestine is blocked by GNA, a mannose-specific lectin J. Appf Bacteriol 75, 360–368

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Herzenberg, L. A. (1959) Studies on the induction of β-galactosidase in a cryptic strain of Esherichia cold Blochim. Biophys Acta 31, 525–539.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Whtifield, C. Vimr, E R., Costerton, J W, and Troy, F A (1985) Membrane proteins correlated with expression of the polysialic acid capsule in Escherichia cold Kl J Bacterlol 161,743–749

    Google Scholar 

  21. Fang, R, Mantle, M, and Ceri, H (1993) Characterization of quail intestinal mucin as a ligand for endogenous quail lectin Biochem J 293, 867–872

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Mantle, M. and Thakore, E. (1989) Rabbit intestinal mucins, isolation, partial characterization and measurements using enzyme-linked immunoassay. Biochem Cell Biol 66,1045–1054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Forstner, J F, Roomi, N W, Fahim, R E F, and Forstner, G G. (1981) Cholera toxin stimulates secretion of immunoreactive intestinal mucin Am J Physiol 240, G10–G16

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Sciences and Biofilm Research Group, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Howard Ceri

  2. Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH

    John G. Banwell

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Rixun Fang

Authors
  1. Howard Ceri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John G. Banwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rixun Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Liverpool, UK

    Jonathan M. Rhodes  & Jeremy D. Milton  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Humana Press Inc.

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Ceri, H., Banwell, J.G., Fang, R. (1998). Lectin Ingestion. In: Rhodes, J.M., Milton, J.D. (eds) Lectin Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 9. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-396-1:495

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-396-1:495

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-396-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-593-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics