"Grant, G." . . "Clarke, E.M.W." . . . . . . . . . "Inclusion of pure lectins isolated from the seeds of kideny bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Processor) in diets for rats increased bothfaecal and urinary losses of N and resulted in a negative N balance for the animals. the relationship beteween total body N change [y (mg) and lectin concentration [x(gkg-1)] of the diet was : y=421.5 - 75.1 x, which was statistically singificant (P=0.05). These rats developed circulating antibodies of low avidity to the dietary lectins, while no other proteins of the diet eleicited a similar antiobody response. Additionally, in several serum samples from rats which had been fed raw beans, the presence of small amounts of a protein reactive with rabbit anti-lectin antibodies was detected. This protein was isolatedfrom the immune precipitate and was shown by sodium dodecylsulphate-gel electrophoresis to contain a protein subunit of 30 000, which was very similar to that of pure lectins. It is tentatively suggested that lectin toxicity results from the combined effects of the interference wiht normal intestinal digestion and/or absorption of N through the damaged enterocytes and of systemic immune (and other ) responses of the rat to the internalised lectin." . "The toxicity of phaseolus vulgaris lectins. Nitrogen balance and immunochemical studies" . "King, T.P." . . . .