Disease relevance of Ulex

• Carcinoma-specific Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I binding glycoproteins of human colorectal carcinoma and its relation to carcinoembryonic antigen [1].
• Previous immuno- and lectin-histochemical studies using mAbs and Ulex europaeus lectin I, which recognize various fucose-containing blood group antigens, have shown an increased expression of Lewis and H blood group antigens in endometrial carcinoma [2].
• A Ulex europeus agglutinin I (UEAI)-reactive glycoprotein(s) with molecular weight higher than 300,000 was detected by direct binding of 125I-labeled UEAI to lysates of rectal or sigmoid colon cancer tissues separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate [3].
• Seven mouse monoclonal antibodies and the lectin Ulex europaeus, detecting blood group related antigens of the ABH and Lewis systems, have been used to determine the immunophenotype of human renal cell carcinomas [4].
• In human tumors, Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA I) showed no binding; whereas concanavalin A (Con A), Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA I), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), and Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) bound equally to primaries and metastases [5].

High impact information on Ulex

• Tissue from the proximal and distal colon of each animal was incubated with Triticum vulgaris, Arachis hypogaea, Glycine max, or Ulex europeus agglutinin I [6].
• We conclude that Ulex europeus agglutinin binding is a consistent feature of premalignant colonic mucosa in dimethylhydrazine-treated rats [7].
• The specimens were stained with periodic acid-Schiff to detect neutral mucins, high-iron diamine alcian blue to detect sialylated and sulfated mucins, fluoresceinated peanut agglutinin, and fluoresceinated Ulex europeus agglutinin [7].
• These villi can be rapidly identified in fixed whole-mount preparations of intestine using the alpha-L-fucose-specific Ulex europaeus agglutinin type I (UEA-I) lectin [8].
• Furthermore, the fucose-specific lectin Ulex europeus agglutinin I bound both to the isolated HMGs and to monomer nucleosomes containing HMGs released from "active chromatin" by micrococcal nuclease digestion [9].

Chemical compound and disease context of Ulex

• Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of 24 human gliomas were examined histochemically with five lectins; concanavalin A (Con A), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), Ricinus communis agglutinin 1 (RCA-1), peanut agglutinin (PNA), and Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1 (UEA-1) [10].
• Localization of binding sites of Ulex europaeus I, Helix pomatia and Griffonia simplicifolia I-B4 lectins and analysis of their backbone structures by several glycosidases and poly-N-acetyllactosamine-specific lectins in human breast carcinomas [11].
• The architectural expression of an anastomosing vascular pattern in areas of tumor, combined with the positive staining for Factor VIII-related antigen (FVIIIRAg) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA1) enabled us to make a diagnosis of angiosarcoma [12].
• Formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections from eight angiosarcomas were studied using the antibodies anti-factor VIII-related antigen (FVIII-RA), Ulex europaeus I agglutinin, anti-CD34 (QBEND/10) and anti-CD31 (JC70) [13].

Biological context of Ulex

• In 10 cases, immunohistochemical staining for factor VIII-related antigen, CD34, CD31, or Ulex europaeus agglutinin I was performed on the cytology or histology specimen [14].
• We investigated the expression of the SH2 antigen, along with the endothelial markers factor VIII-related antigen and Ulex europaeus I (UEA-I) lectin during specific developmental periods in human dermal embryogenesis and in the postnatal period through aged adults [15].
• In surgical pathology the most frequently applied markers are anti-Factor VIII-related antigen (anti-FVIII-R:AG) and Ulex europeus I agglutinin (UEA I) because of their ability to work on routinely formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue [16].
• The plant lectin Ulex europus agglutinin, Type I (UEA) binds fucosylated oligosaccharides, while UEA-reactive substances have a tissue distribution similar to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) [17].
• Almost all GFP-positive cells were positive for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen staining and were positive for both cytokeratin and Ulex Europaeus Agglutinin I, markers of medullary thymic epithelial cells, but were negative for CD11c, Gr-1, and CD45, markers of dendritic cells, macrophages, and B-lymphocytes, respectively [18].

Anatomical context of Ulex

• In the earliest developmental stage of intrahepatic bile ducts ("the stage of ductal plate"), no vasculatures were found around the ductal plate, but progenitor vascular cells positive for von Willebrand factor, Ulex europaeus agglutinin I and succinylated wheat germ agglutinin appeared in the mesenchyme of the portal tracts [19].
• Specific staining for endothelial cell (EC) markers (factor VIII, Ulex europaeus type 1 lectin) and the secretion of endothelin, a vascular EC product, were demonstrated [20].
• Cell-type specific markers for double-labeling included: Ricinus communis agglutinin-1 (RCA-1) for macrophages and microglia; Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 for endothelium; anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocytes; anti-amyloid precursor protein for neurons; and anti-leukocyte common antigen for leukocytes [21].
• Receptors for either concanavalin A (mannose, glucose) or Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (fucose) were abundant over the entire nerve cell with the former exhibiting more marked trypsin sensitivity [22].
• Of the two fucose-binding lectins Ulex europeus has shown a variability of reaction between specimens, whilst Lotus tetragonolobus consistently reacts with ductal and acinar epithelium but with varying intensities [23].

Associations of Ulex with chemical compounds

• However, Ulex europeus agglutinin, which bound to only 3% of control biopsy specimens throughout the course of the study, bound to increasing numbers of biopsy specimens in the dimethylhydrazine-treated animals, reaching a maximum of 90% positivity by 13-16 wk [7].
• These TC consistently lacked surface L-fucose residues, as shown by lack of Ulex europaeus agglutinin binding [24].
• They use seven markers to characterize endothelial cells: three antigens (Factor VIII-related antigen, HLA-DR/Ia, macrophage/endothelial antigens), three enzymes (5'-nucleotidase, ATPase, alkaline phosphatase), and lectin binding (Ulex europaeus I) [25].
• The inability of the receptor to bind to concanavalin A, Dolichus biflorus agglutinin, Ulex europeaus I, and Jacalin lectin affinity columns suggests that high mannose, N-acetylgalactosamine, fucose, and O-linked carbohydrates are not associated with receptor [26].
• SMEC were isolated, primarily, by the use of lectin-coated (Ulex europaeus agglutinin type I), magnetizable polystyrene beads [27].

Gene context of Ulex

• Phenotypic analysis of the cells within the adherent population reveals that the majority display endothelial features, including the expression of KDR, Tie-2, Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1, and von Willebrand factor [28].
• Immunohistochemically, all cases tested were positive for at least one endothelial marker (CD31, CD34, factor VIII, Ulex europaeus), six of 23 (26%) were positive for cytokeratin, and five of 11 (45%) were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin [29].
• Using the M cell specific lectin Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1 (UEA-1), PGRP-S expression was nearly exclusively co-localized with UEA-1+ M cells [30].
• The AS-M cells manifested endothelial characteristics, such as active uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein labeled with 1,1'-dioctadecyl 3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil-Ac-LDL), capacity to bind the Ulex europeaus agglutin-I (UEA-I), and expression of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and CD31 [31].
• Morphological examinations involved the application of routine histological stains and immunohistochemical reactions with antibodies against human albumin, GFAP, macrophage antigen CD 68 and lectins (Ulex europaeus, Wheat Germ agglutinin and Bandeirea simplicifolia) [32].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Ulex

• Two hundred and one primary and restenotic coronary atherectomy specimens were analyzed for the presence of microvessels and proliferation as reflected by positive immunolabeling for Ulex agglutinin and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen, respectively [33].
• The fractions were characterized by light microscopy, by indirect immunofluorescence using specific lectins (Bandeirea simplicifolia and Ulex europaeus) and an antibody against the spinous 67-kDa keratin polypeptides, and by electrophoretic analysis of the keratin polypeptide patterns [34].
• Positive lectin histochemistry (Ulex Europeus I) and positive immunohistochemistry for factor-VIII-related antigen, actin, and vimentin also gave strong support for the endothelial differentiation of the tumor cells [35].
• Many lectins display blood group activity, and extracts from Dolichos biflorus (anti-A1), Ulex europaeus (anti-H), and Vicia graminea (anti-N) seeds provide an alternative to human sera as a source of blood-typing reagents [36].
• Several proteins, present in the 0.4 M NaCl nuclear extract, with M(r) ranging from 35,000 to 115,000 were identified on Western blots as fucosylated glycoproteins owing to their binding to the fucose-specific lectin, Ulex europeus agglutinin I [37].

References