Unraveling the GM₁ Specificity of Galectin‑1 Binding to Lipid Membranes.

ABSTRACT: Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is a galactose-binding protein involved in various cellular functions. Gal-1's activity has been suggested to be connected to two molecular concepts, which are, however, lacking experimental proof: a) enhanced binding affinity of Gal-1 toward membranes containing monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM₁) over disialoganglioside GD₁a and b) cross-linking of GM₁'s by homodimers of Gal-1. We provide evidence about the specificity and the nature of the interaction of Gal-1 with model membranes containing GM₁ or GD₁a, employing a broad panel of fluorescence-based and label-free experimental techniques, complemented by atomistic biomolecular simulations. Our study demonstrates that Gal-1 indeed binds specifically to GM_1<

SUBMITTER: Scollo F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12183518 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature