Functional Diversity of Novel Lectins with Unique Structural Features in Marine Animals.

ABSTRACT: Due to their remarkable structural diversity, glycans play important roles as recognition molecules on cell surfaces of living organisms. 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

SUBMITTER: Hatakeyama T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10377782 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature