Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) is affinity purified lectin that non-enzymatically binds to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and sialic acid residues of glycoproteins and glycolipids. This lectin protects Triticum vulgaris from insects, yeast and bacteria. WGA consists of two subunits and has a molecular weight of 36,000. It is an acidic protein and has mitogenic activity toward lymphocytes. It agglutinates erythrocytes and most types of malignant cells. WGA, similar to insulin, enhances the rate of glucose oxidation in isolated fat cells. It inhibits C5a receptor interaction and is used for isolation and fractionation of insulin receptors.||Source:|Triticum Vulgaris (Wheat germ)||Blood Specificity:|A, B, O||Activity:|10ug/ml wile agglutinate human erthrocytes nonspecifically.||Sugar Specificity:|N-Acetylglucosamine||Inhibitory Carbohydrate:|Chitin Hydrolysate or N-Acetylglucosamine ||Divalent Ions:|Ca++||Storage and Stability:|Lyophilized powder may be stored at -20°C. Stable for 12 months after receipt at -20°C. Reconstitute with sterile buffer or ddH2O. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing. Store at -20°C. Reconstituted product is stable for 6 months at -20°C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.