Lectin

A Lectin is a Complex Molecule that contains both a Protein and a Sugar.

• Context:
  • It can be made by both Animals and Plants.
  • It can bind to the outside of a cell and cause Biochemical changes in it.
• Example(s):
  • Klebsiella Pneumoniae http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/A7KFS2
  • PMID 11119485: “Pulmonary surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a collagenous C-type lectin (collectin) that is secreted into the alveoli and distal airways of the lung. We have studied the interactions of SP-D and alveolar macrophages with Klebsiella pneumoniae, a common cause of nosocomial pneumonia.”
• See: Viruses.

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References

• (Wikipedia, 2009) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectin
  • Lectins are sugar-binding proteins which are highly specific for their sugar moieties. They typically play a role in biological recognition phenomena involving cells and proteins. For example, some viruses use lectins to attach themselves to the cells of the host organism during infection.
• Gene Ontology http://amigo.geneontology.org/cgi-bin/amigo/term-details.cgi?term=GO:0001862&session_id=3029amigo1244034791
  • Accession: GO:0001862
  • Ontology: molecular function
  • Synonyms None

• • Definition
    • Interacting selectively with a collectin, a member of a group of structurally related pattern recognition molecules characterized by having a carbohydrate recognition domain of the C-type lectin family at the C-terminus and a collagenous domain at the N-terminus. [source: GOC:add, ISBN:0781735149]

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