Redox-responsive and calcium-dependent switching of glycosyldisulfide interactions with Concanavalin A

Glycosyldisulfides can interact efficiently with carbohydrate-binding entities. This has been shown for a range of thiosaccharide dimers when tested for their effects against the lectin Concanavalin A using a modified quartz crystal microbalance-technique. Contrary to the thiosaccharide monomers, showing no significant binding up to 10 mM, several of the dimers showed IC50-values in the low millimolar range. Three of the glycosyldisulfides tested also displayed very high positive apparent cooperativity effects that were found to be both calcium-dependent and redox-responsive.