ABSTRACT
SIGVARD OLOFSSON and STIG JEANSSON University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
JOHN-ERIK STIG HANSEN Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
I. INTRODUCTION
One obvious explanation for the success of lectins as tools in the microbiology of cellular organisms is the huge amount of different carbohydrate structures associated with various microorganisms. The structures of these glycans are strictly under control of the microorganism through the concerted actions of a variety of glycosyltransferases. As demonstrated in other chapters in this volume, many species are associated with unique carbohydrate structures, which could be identified by individual lectins or by selected panels of lectins. These lectins could be used for identification of certain species as well as for purification of structural components.
