PROSITE documentation PDOC00279Galactoside-binding lectin (galectin) domain profile
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Galectins (also known as galaptins or S-lectin) are a family of proteins defined by having at least one characteristic carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) with an affinity for β-galactosides and sharing certain sequence elements. Members of the galectins family are found in mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, nematodes, sponges, and some fungi. Galectins are known to carry out intra- and extracellular functions through glycoconjugate-mediated recogntion. From the cytosol they may be secreted by non-classical pathways, but they may also be targeted to the nucleus or specific sub-cytosolic sites. Within the same peptide chain some galectins have a CRD with only a few additional amino acids, whereas others have two CRDs joined by a link peptide, and one (galectin-3) has one CRD joined to a different type of domain [1,2,3].
The galectin carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) is a β-sandwich of about 135 amino acid (see <PDB:1HLC>). The two sheets are slightly bent with 6 strands forming the concave side and 5 strands forming the convex side. The concave side forms a groove in which carbohydrate is bound, and which is long enough to hold about a linear tetrasaccharide [1,2,3,4,5].
A number of proteins are known to belong to this family:
- Galectin-3 (also known as MAC-2 antigen; CBP-35 or IgE-binding protein), a 35 Kd lectin which binds immunoglobulin E and which is composed of two domains: a N-terminal domain that consist of tandem repeats of a glycine/ proline-rich sequence and a C-terminal galectin domain.
- Galectin-4 [6], which is composed of two galectin domains.
- Galectin-5.
- Galectin-7 [7], a keratinocyte protein which could be involved in cell-cell and/or cell-matrix interactions necessary for normal growth control.
- Galectin-8 [8], which is composed of two galectin domains.
- Galectin-9 [9], which is composed of two galectin domains.
- Human eosinophil lysophospholipase (EC 3.1.1.5) [5] (Charcot-Leyden crystal protein), a protein that may have both an enzymatic and a lectin activities. It forms hexagonal bipyramidal crystals in tissues and secretions from sites of eosinophil-associated inflammation.
- Caenorhabditis elegans 32 Kd lactose-binding lectin [10]. This lectin is composed of two galectin domains.
- Caenorhabditis elegans lec-7 and lec-8.
The profile we developed covers the entire galectin domain.
Last update:March 2007 / Pattern removed, profile added and text revised.
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PROSITE method (with tools and information) covered by this documentation:
| 1 | Authors | Leffler H. |
| Title | Introduction to galectins.; | |
| Source | Trends Glycosci. Glycotechnol. 9:9-19(1997). |
| 2 | Authors | Leffler H. Carlsson S. Hedlund M. Qian Y. Poirier F. |
| Title | Introduction to galectins. | |
| Source | Glycoconj. J. 19:433-440(2004). | |
| PubMed ID | 14758066 | |
| DOI | 10.1023/B:GLYC.0000014072.34840.04 |
| 3 | Authors | Ban M. Yoon H.-J. Demirkan E. Utsumi S. Mikami B. Yagi F. |
| Title | Structural basis of a fungal galectin from Agrocybe cylindracea for recognizing sialoconjugate. | |
| Source | J. Mol. Biol. 351:695-706(2005). | |
| PubMed ID | 16051274 | |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.06.045 |
| 4 | Authors | Lobsanov Y.D. Gitt M.A. Leffler H. Barondes S.H. Rini J.M. |
| Title | X-ray crystal structure of the human dimeric S-Lac lectin, L-14-II, in complex with lactose at 2.9-A resolution. | |
| Source | J. Biol. Chem. 268:27034-27038(1993). | |
| PubMed ID | 8262940 |
| 5 | Authors | Leonidas D.D. Elbert B.L. Zhou Z. Leffler H. Ackerman S.J. Acharya K.R. |
| Title | Crystal structure of human Charcot-Leyden crystal protein, an eosinophil lysophospholipase, identifies it as a new member of the carbohydrate-binding family of galectins. | |
| Source | Structure 3:1379-1393(1995). | |
| PubMed ID | 8747464 |
| 6 | Authors | Oda Y. Herrmann J. Gitt M.A. Turck C.W. Burlingame A.L. Barondes S.H. Leffler H. |
| Title | Soluble lactose-binding lectin from rat intestine with two different carbohydrate-binding domains in the same peptide chain. | |
| Source | J. Biol. Chem. 268:5929-5939(1993). | |
| PubMed ID | 8449956 |
| 7 | Authors | Madsen P. Rasmussen H.H. Flint T. Gromov P. Kruse T.A. Honore B. Vorum H. Celis J.E. |
| Title | Cloning, expression, and chromosome mapping of human galectin-7. | |
| Source | J. Biol. Chem. 270:5823-5829(1995). | |
| PubMed ID | 7534301 |
| 8 | Authors | Hadari Y.R. Paz K. Dekel R. Mestrovic T. Accili D. Zick Y. |
| Title | Galectin-8. A new rat lectin, related to galectin-4. | |
| Source | J. Biol. Chem. 270:3447-3453(1995). | |
| PubMed ID | 7852431 |
| 9 | Authors | Wada J. Kanwar Y.S. |
| Title | Identification and characterization of galectin-9, a novel beta-galactoside-binding mammalian lectin. | |
| Source | J. Biol. Chem. 272:6078-6086(1997). | |
| PubMed ID | 9038233 |
| 10 | Authors | Hirabayashi J. Satoh M. Kasai K.-I. |
| Title | Evidence that Caenorhabditis elegans 32-kDa beta-galactoside-binding protein is homologous to vertebrate beta-galactoside-binding lectins. cDNA cloning and deduced amino acid sequence. | |
| Source | J. Biol. Chem. 267:15485-15490(1992). | |
| PubMed ID | 1639789 |
| 11 | Authors | Abbott W.M. Feizi T. |
| Source | J. Biol. Chem. 266:5552-5557(1991). |
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