An assay for carbohydrate-binding activity of lectins using polyamidoamine dendrimer conjugated with carbohydrates.

The carbohydrate-binding activity of lectins was examined using polyamidoamine dendrimer conjugated with carbohydrates (sugar-PD). When a C-type lectin, CEL-IV, was mixed with melibiose-PD, large complexes with a diameter of about 1 μm were formed. Changes in the amount of CEL-IV/melibiose-PD complex as an indication of lectin activity were measured sensitively by Rayleigh scattering.