Review
Version 1
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Structural Diversity and Carbohydrate-Recognition Mechanisms of Marine Animal Lectins
Version 1
: Received: 9 June 2023 / Approved: 9 June 2023 / Online: 9 June 2023 (12:12:43 CEST)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Hatakeyama, T.; Unno, H. Functional Diversity of Novel Lectins with Unique Structural Features in Marine Animals. Cells 2023, 12, 1814. Hatakeyama, T.; Unno, H. Functional Diversity of Novel Lectins with Unique Structural Features in Marine Animals. Cells 2023, 12, 1814.
Abstract
Glycans play important roles as recognition molecules on cell surfaces in living organisms due to their remarkable structural diversity. Carbohydrates exist in numerous isomeric forms and can adopt diverse structures through various branching patterns. Despite their relatively small molecular weights, they exhibit extensive structural diversity. On the other hand, lectins, also known as carbohydrate-binding proteins, not only recognize and bind to the diverse structures of glycans but also induce various biological reactions based on structural differences. Initially discovered as hemagglutinins in plant seeds, lectins have been found to play significant roles in cell recognition processes in higher vertebrates. However, our understanding of lectins in marine animals, particularly marine invertebrates, remains limited. Recent studies have revealed that marine animals possess novel lectins with unique structures and glycan recognition mechanisms not observed in known lectins. Of particular interest is their role as pattern recognition receptors in the innate immune system, where they recognize glycan structures of pathogens. Furthermore, lectins serve as toxins for self-defense against foreign enemies. Recent discoveries have identified various pore-forming proteins containing lectin domains in fish venoms and skins. These proteins utilize lectin domains to bind target cells, triggering oligomerization and pore formation in the cell membrane. These findings have spurred research into the new functions of lectins and lectin domains. In this review, we present recent findings on the diverse structures and functions of lectins in marine animals.
Keywords
lectin; carbohydrate; marine animal; toxin; pore-forming protein; innate immunity
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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