Isolation of a novel lectin from the globiferous pedicellariae of the sea urchin Toxopneustes pileolus.

The sea urchin, Toxopneustes pileolus (Lamarck), a member of the family Toxopneustidae, is found on the sea bed in the Indo-Pacific area. It possesses extremely well-developed globiferous pedicellariae which contain pharmacologically active substances and cause deleterious effects (Fujiwara, 1935; Okada., 1955a; Kimura et al., 1975; Nakagawa et al., 1982, 1991 and 1992; Takei et al., 1993). It is suggested that a sea urchin having large pedicellariae is more dangerous than one having numerous small pedicellariae (Halstead, 1987). Okada et al. (1955b) reported that there were sub-types of globiferous pedicellariae on the external surface of T. pileolus: ordinary pedicellaria, trumpet pedicellaria and giant pedicellaria. We have also observed the trumpet pedicellaria (globiferous pedicellaria) and giant pedicellaria (large globiferous pedicellaria). In the course of comparative study on venom proteins from the globiferous pedicellariae and large globiferous pedicellariae of T. pileolus, we found that the crude venom extracts from the pedicellariae of the two sub-types caused agglutination with mouse erythrocytes in a Ca2+-independent manner