Partial Purification and Characterization of a Glycoprotein Factor from Fresh Ginseng

  • Kong, Yun-Cheung (Department of Biochcmistry, The Chinese University) ;
  • Fong, Wing-Ping (Department of Biochcmistry, The Chinese University) ;
  • Song, Myung-Eun (Department of Biochcmistry, The Chinese University) ;
  • Ng, Kam-Hung (Department of Biochcmistry, The Chinese University) ;
  • Ho, Dan-Dan (Department of Biochcmistry, The Chinese University) ;
  • Ng, Ping-Chung (Department of Biochcmistry, The Chinese University)
  • Published : 1990.06.01

Abstract

The aqueous extract of fresh ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) contains a macromolecular fraction that showed mitogenic and comitogenic activities in human peripheral blood Iymphocytes. Purification of the crude extract by size (ultrafiltration, Sephadex G-200) and charge (DEAE-cellulose. DEAE-Sepharose) yielded a semi-purified fraction (DS-3). This fraction contains at least three subgroups of anionic macromolecules with apparent molecular weight greater than 600 kilodaltons. It is a glycoprotein with a large amount of glucuronic acid. It acts as a mitogen in both T and B cells of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. It could also potentiate the mitogenic action of Concanavalin A in Iymphocyte T cells. Such potentiation is not due to increased binding of Concanavalin A to the cell surface. Its mitogenic and co-mitogenic effects do depend on the presence of extracellular Ca2+.

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