[#2010-03] A Novel Lectin with Antiproliferative and HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitory Activities from Dried Fruiting Bodies of the Monkey Head Mushroom Hericium erinaceum (Lion’s Mane Mushroom), Yanrui Li

A Novel Lectin with Antiproliferative and HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitory Activities from Dried Fruiting Bodies of the Monkey Head Mushroom Hericium erinaceum (Lion’s Mane Mushroom)

Yanrui Li,¹ Guoqing Zhang, ¹ Tzi Bun Ng,² and Hexiang Wang, ¹

‘ State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, Department of Microbiology, China Agricultural University,  China ² School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

 

A lectin designated as Hericium erinaceum agglutinin (HEA) was isolated from dried fruiting bodies of the mushroom Hericium erinaceum ( Lion’s Mane Mushroom ) with a chromatographic procedure which entailed DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose, Q-Sepharose, and FPLC Superdex 75. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 51 kDa and its N-terminal amino acid sequences was distinctly different from those of other isolated mushroom lectins. The hemagglutinating activity of HEA was inhibited at the minimum concentration of 12.5 mM by inulin. The lectin was stable at pH 1.9-12.1 and at temperatures up to 70″C, but was inhibited by Hg²⁺ , Cu²⁺, and Fe³⁺ ions. The lectin exhibited potent mitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes, and demonstrated antiproliferative activity toward hepatoma (HepG2) and breast cancer (MCF7) cells with an IC₅₀ of 56.1 μM and 76.5 μM, respectively. It manifested HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity with an IC₅₀ of 31.7 μM. The lectin exhibited potent mitogenic activity toward murine splenocytes but was devoid of antifungal activity.