Because peanut agglutinin specifically binds a particular carbohydrate sequence it finds use in a range of methods for cell biology and biochemistry. For example in PNA-affinity chromatography the binding specificity of peanut agglutinin is used to isolate glycosylated molecules which have the sugar sequence Gal-β(1-3)-GalNAc. Peanut agglutinin activity is inhibited by lactose and galactose which compete for the binding site.
Other uses include:
* Potent anti-T cell activity.
* Distinguishing between human lymphocyte subsets.
* Identification of cone cell inner and outer segments and to a lesser extent rod cell inner segments in the mammalian retina.
* Tumour tissue determination for transitional mucosa malignancies.
* Identification of mammalian-infective metacyclic promastigote Leishmania major parasites from other life cycle forms also found in the sandfly host.
* Identification of the outer acrosome membrane in sperm, indicating acrosome integrity.