Lectin-glycan interactions: a comprehensive cataloguing of cancer-associated glycans for biorecognition and bio-alteration: a review

This comprehensive review meticulously compiles data on an array of lectins and their interactions with different cancer types through specific glycans. Crucially, it establishes the link between aberrant glycosylation and cancer types. This repository of lectin-defined glycan signatures, assumes paramount importance in the realm of cancer and its dynamic nature. Cancer, known for its remarkable heterogeneity and individualized behaviour, can be better understood through these glycan signatures. The current review discusses the important lectins and their carbohydrate specificities, especially recognizing glycans of cancer origin. The review also addresses the key aspects of differentially expressed glycans on normal and cancerous cell surfaces. Specific cancer types highlighted in this review include breast cancer, colon cancer, glioblastoma, cervical cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, and leukaemia. The glycan profiles unveiled through this review hold the key to tailor-made treatment and precise diagnostics. It opens up avenues to explore the potential of targeting glycosyltransferases and glycosidases linked with cancer advancement and metastasis. Armed with knowledge about specific glycan expressions, researchers can design targeted therapies to modulate glycan profiles, potentially hampering the advance of this relentless disease.

Microbial lectins as a potential therapeutics for the prevention of certain human diseases

Lectins are protein or glycoprotein molecules with a specific ability to bind to carbohydrates. From viruses to mammals, they are found in various organisms and exhibit remarkable diverse structures and functions. They are significant contributors to defense mechanisms against microbial attacks in plants. They are also involved in functions such as controlling lymphocyte migration, regulating glycoprotein biosynthesis, cell-cell recognition, and embryonic development in animals. In addition, lectins serve as invaluable molecular tools in various biological and medical disciplines due to their reversible binding ability and enable the monitoring of cell membrane changes in physiological and pathological contexts. Microbial lectins, often referred to as adhesins, play an important role in microbial colonization, pathogenicity, and interactions among microorganisms. Viral lectins are located in the bilayered viral membrane, whereas bacterial lectins are found intracellularly and on the bacterial cell surface. Microfungal lectins are typically intracellular and have various functions in host-parasite interaction, and in fungal growth and morphogenesis. Although microbial lectin studies are less extensive than those of plants and animals, they provide insights into the infection mechanisms and potential interventions. Glycan specificity, essential functions in infectious diseases, and applications in the diagnosis and treatment of viral and bacterial infections are critical aspects of microbial lectin research. In this review, we will discuss the application and therapeutic potential of viral, bacterial and microfungal lectins.

Therapeutic potential of lectins in the treatment of breast cancer: A review

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. There are 3 major subtypes of breast cancer that are distinguished by expression of estrogen or progesterone receptors and ERBB2 gene amplification. The 3 subtypes have different risk profiles and treatment strategies. Abnormal glycosylation is thought to play an important role in the development of the tumorigenic and metastatic phenotype of breast cancer and resistance to therapy. They may also be a potentially attractive target for breast cancer treatment. Proteins such as lectins, a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins found in a variety of organisms from viruses to humans, can specifically interact with abnormally glycosylated carbohydrate residues in cancer cells and induce cytotoxic effects. In recent years, there has been a growing number of research addressing studies demonstrating their antitumorigenic and antimalignant effects. This review summarizes recent findings on lectins from plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria that are potentially therapeutic agents against breast cancer and outlines the basis of their mechanism of action.

Efficient TurboID-based proximity labelling method for identifying terminal sialic acid glycosylation in living cells

TurboID, a proximity labelling method based on mutant biotin ligase, is an efficient new technique for recognizing protein-protein interactions and has been successfully applied to living cells. Sialic acid is typically the terminal monosaccharide attached to many glycoproteins and plays many important roles in many biological processes. However, the lack of enrichment methods for terminal sialic acid glycosylation in vivo hinders the identification and analysis of this glycosylation. Here, we introduce TurboID to identify terminal sialic acid glycosylation in living cells. SpCBM, the carbohydrate-binding domain of sialidase from Streptococcus pneumoniae, is fused with TurboID and overexpressed in HeLa cells. After streptavidin-based purification and detection by mass spectrometry, 31 terminal sialic acid N-glycosylated sites and 1359 putative terminal sialic acid glycosylated proteins are identified, many of which are located in the cytoplasm and nucleus.

RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis reveals Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin has antitumor activity in human anaplastic thyroid cancer cells

Background

Lectins are carbohydrate-binding molecules that can bind specifically to the sugar residues of glycoconjugates and are found in almost all organisms. Plant lectins subjected to many studies reported exhibiting anti-cancer activity. This study aimed to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms of Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin II (MAL-II) treated ATCCs.

Methods and results

We tested the effects of MAL-II, which is isolated from Amur seeds, on cancerous features of 8505C human anaplastic thyroid cancer cells (ATCCs) on a large scale using RNA-Seq. Transcriptome analysis was performed using Illumina next-generation sequencing technology by using cDNA libraries obtained from total RNA isolates of ATCCs treated with 0.25 µM MAL-II for 24 h. Gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis were performed for the systematic analysis of gene functions. Moreover, we validated RNA-Seq findings using qPCR. Our results showed that many cancer-related genes such as TENM4, STIM2, SYT12, PIEZO2, ABCG1, SPNS2, ARRB1, and IRX5 were downregulated and many anticancer genes such as HSPA6, G0S2, TNFAIP3, GEM, GADD45G, RND1, SERPINB2, and IL24 were upregulated. Also, pathway enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were found to be associated with Ras, p53, and apoptosis signaling pathways, which are some important signal transduction pathways in development, proliferation, stem cell control, and carcinogenesis.

Conclusion

Collectively, our results show that MAL-II treatment reveals significant antitumor activity by changing the expression of many cancer-related genes and implies that MAL-II treatment might be a potential candidate molecule to inhibit the malignancy of human anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11033-022-07759-6.

Structure and Biological Properties of Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins and Lectins from Elder (Sambucus nigra L.) Leaves

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are a group of proteins with rRNA N-glycosylase activity that catalyze the removal of a specific adenine located in the sarcin–ricin loop of the large ribosomal RNA, which leads to the irreversible inhibition of protein synthesis and, consequently, cell death. The case of elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) is unique, since more than 20 RIPs and related lectins have been isolated and characterized from the flowers, seeds, fruits, and bark of this plant. However, these kinds of proteins have never been isolated from elderberry leaves. In this work, we have purified RIPs and lectins from the leaves of this shrub, studying their main physicochemical characteristics, sequences, and biological properties. In elderberry leaves, we found one type 2 RIP and two related lectins that are specific for galactose, four type 2 RIPs that fail to agglutinate erythrocytes, and one type 1 RIP. Several of these proteins are homologous to others found elsewhere in the plant. The diversity of RIPs and lectins in the different elderberry tissues, and the different biological activities of these proteins, which have a high degree of homology with each other, constitute an excellent source of proteins that are of great interest in diagnostics, experimental therapy, and agriculture.

Machine learning reveals salivary glycopatterns as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer

The diagnosis of thyroid cancer, especially papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), is increasing rapidly worldwide. In this study, we aimed to study the glycosylation of salivary proteins associated with PTC and assess the likelihood that salivary glycopatterns may be a potential biomarker of PTC diagnosis. Firstly, 22 benign thyroid nodule (BTN) samples, 27 PTC samples, and 30 healthy volunteers (HV) samples were collected to probe the difference of salivary glycopatterns associated with PTC using lectin microarrays. Then, five machine learning models including K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were established to distinguish HV, BTN and PTC based on the changes of salivary glycopatterns. As a result, SVM had the best diagnostic effect with an accuracy rate of 92 % in testing set. Besides, lectin microarrays were used to explore the differences in salivary glycopatterns of 26 paired salivary samples of PTC patients before and after operation in order to probe into salivary glycopatterns as potential biomarkers for prognosis of PTC patients. The results showed that the levels of salivary glycopatterns recognized by 6 different lectins in patients after the operation almost convergenced with HVs. This study could help to screen and assess patients with PTC and their prognosis based on precise changes of salivary glycopatterns.

Glycosylation-Dependent Induction of Programmed Cell Death in Murine Adenocarcinoma Cells

Altered surface glycosylation is a major hallmark of tumor cells associated with aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis. By recognizing specific carbohydrate motifs, lectins can be applied to distinguish tumor from healthy cells based on the expression of glycosylation-dependent markers. Through their ability to bind to specific carbohydrates, lectins induce cell agglutination and cross-link surface glycoproteins, thereby mediating mitogenic and death-inducing effects in various cell types. The carbohydrate-selective cytotoxic effect of lectins also enables their possible application in therapies targeting cancer cells. To clarify the intracellular pathways mediating cell death induced by a group of plant and fungal lectins, we investigated mouse adenocarcinoma MC-38 cells harboring inactive genes involved in apoptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis. Treatment of MC-38 cells with wheat germ agglutinin, Maackia amurensis lectin I, and Aleuria aurantia lectin induced multiple cell death pathways through reactions that relied on the autophagy machinery without depending on caspase activation. Furthermore, inhibition of de novo protein synthesis by cycloheximide strongly decreased the cytotoxic response, indicating that the lectins investigated induced cell death via effector molecules that are not expressed under normal circumstances and supporting the non-apoptotic nature of cell death. The broad cytotoxic response to lectins can be beneficial for the development of combination therapies targeting tumor cells. Given that tumors acquire resistance to various cytotoxic treatments because of mutations in cell death pathways, compounds inducing broad cytotoxic responses, such as lectins, represent potent sensitizers to promote tumor cell killing.

Serum Linkage-Specific Sialylation Changes Are Potential Biomarkers for Monitoring and Predicting the Recurrence of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Following Thyroidectomy

BACKGROUND

Although papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) could remain indolent, the recurrence rates after thyroidectomy are approximately 20%. There are currently no accurate serum biomarkers that can monitor and predict recurrence of PTC after thyroidectomy. This study aimed to explore novel serum biomarkers that are relevant to the monitoring and prediction of recurrence in PTC using N-glycomics.

METHODS

A high-throughput quantitative strategy based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to obtain serum protein N-glycomes of well-differentiated PTC, postoperative surveillance (PS), postoperative recurrence (PR), and matched healthy controls (HC) including linkage-specific sialylation information.

RESULTS

Serum N-glycan traits were found to differ among PTC, PS, PR, and HC. The differentially expressed N-glycan traits consisting of sixteen directly detected glycan traits and seven derived glycan traits indicated the response to surgical resection therapy and the potential for monitoring the PTC. Two glycan traits representing the levels of linkage-specific sialylation (H4N3F1L1 and H4N6F1E1) which were down-regulated in PS and up-regulated in PR showed high potential as biomarkers for predicting the recurrence after thyroidectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this study provides comprehensive evaluations of the serum N-glycomic changes in patients with PS or PR for the first time. Several candidate serum N-glycan biomarkers including the linkage-specific sialylation have been determined, some of which have potential in the prediction of recurrence in PTC, and others of which can help to explore and monitor the response to initial surgical resection therapy. The findings enhanced the comprehension of PTC.

Inhibition of circular RNA_0000285 prevents cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in thyroid cancer by sponging microRNA-654-3p

Thyroid cancer is derived from follicular or thyroid cells and has become the most prevalent malignant tumor of endocrine organs, with increased morbidity and mortality. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are used as prognostic and predictive markers for different types of cancer. However, the role of circRNA_0000285 in thyroid cancer and its potential molecular mechanism remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the roles and underlying molecular mechanism of circRNA_0000285 in thyroid cancer to identify novel treatments for this disease. The target binding site of circRNA_0000285 and microRNA-654-3p (miR-654-3p) were predicted and confirmed via the dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Thyroid cancer cell viability and apoptosis were determined via the MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis, respectively, whereas the expression levels of circRNA_0000285 and miR-654-3p were determined via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. In addition, the protein expression levels of the apoptosis-associated proteins, Bax and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), were detected via western blotting. The results of the dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays demonstrated that miR-654-3p directly targeted circRNA_0000285. The expression levels of circRNA_0000285 and miR-654-3p in thyroid cancer cells (TPC-1 and FTC133) were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. Knockdown of circRNA_0000285 via small interfering (si)RNA inhibited circRNA_0000285 levels and increased miR-654-3p levels. In addition, miR-654-3p expression decreased following transfection with miR-654-3p inhibitor. Functional experiments demonstrated that circRNA_0000285-siRNA decreased thyroid cancer cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, enhanced Bax expression and suppressed Bcl-2 expression. All these effects were reversed following transfection with miR-654-3p inhibitor. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that circRNA_0000285 plays a vital role in thyroid cancer progression by regulating miR-654-3p, which provides a potential therapeutic target for this disease.

Sialic Acid as a Biomarker Studied in Breast Cancer Cell Lines In Vitro Using Fluorescent Molecularly Imprinted Polymers

Sialylations are post-translational modifications of proteins and lipids that play important roles in many cellular events, including cell-cell interactions, proliferation, and migration. Tumor cells express high levels of sialic acid (SA), which are often associated with the increased invasive potential in clinical tumors, correlating with poor prognosis. To overcome the lack of natural SA-receptors, such as antibodies and lectins with high enough specificity and sensitivity, we have used molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), or “plastic antibodies”, as nanoprobes. Because high expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) in primary tumors is often associated with proliferation and a more aggressive phenotype, the expression of EpCAM and CD44 was initially analyzed. The SA-MIPs were used for the detection of SA on the cell surface of breast cancer cells. Lectins that specifically bind to the a-2,3 SA and a-2,6 SA variants were used for analysis of SA expression, with both flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Here we show a correlation of EpCAM and SA expression when using the SA-MIPs for detection of SA. We also demonstrate the binding pattern of the SA-MIPs on the breast cancer cell lines using confocal microscopy. Pre-incubation of the SA-MIPs with SA-derivatives as inhibitors could reduce the binding of the SA-MIPs to the tumor cells, indicating the specificity of the SA-MIPs. In conclusion, the SA-MIPs may be a new powerful tool in the diagnostic analysis of breast cancer cells.

Trichosanthes dioica seed lectin inhibits Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells growth in vivo in mice by inducing G0 /G1 cell cycle arrest

Trichosanthes dioica seed lectin (TDSL), having a molecular mass of 57 ± 2 kDa was purified in an alternative way. For the purification process, the galactose-sepharose-4B affinity column was used. The purified TDSL agglutinated human and mouse erythrocytes at the minimum concentration of 8  μg/ml. d-lactose and d-galactose were the most potent inhibitory sugars as observed. The purified lectin was a glycoprotein having 3.0% of a neutral sugar. The lectin exhibited maximum activity up to 60°C and pH range from 7.0 to 10.0 and stable up to 4.0 M urea as tested. The lectin demonstrated mild toxicity when administered against brine shrimp nauplii, and the LC₅₀ value was calculated to be 84.0 µg/ml. Minimum agglutination of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells caused by the lectin was found at the protein concentration of 1.56 µg/ml. TDSL inhibited 7, 50.2%, and 60.3% of the EAC cells growth in vivo in mice when administered with 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mg kg^-1  day^-1 (i.p.), respectively, for five consecutive days. After lectin treatment, red blood cell (RBC) and hemoglobin levels were increased significantly toward the normal compared with EAC cells-bearing control and normal mice. The tumor burden reduced to 29.5% and 67% after treatment with 1.5 and 3.0 mg kg^-1  day^-1 of the lectin. TDSL triggered the cell cycle arrest at the G₀ /G₁ phase, which was observed using flow cytometry. In conclusion, TDSL can be a candidate for the potent anticancer agents that exerts low toxicity toward brine shrimp nauplii. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: A 57 ± 2 kDa lectin (designated TDSL) was purified from Trichosanthes dioica seeds using a galactose-sepharose-4B affinity column. The lectin demonstrated mild toxicity and agglutinated Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells. The lectin inhibited 50.2% and 60.3% of the EAC cell growth in vivo in mice when administered with 1.5 and 3.0 mg kg^-1  day^-1 (i.p.), respectively, for five consecutive days. The lectin increased RBC and hemoglobin level toward the normal compared with lectin-treated EAC cells-bearing, EAC cells-bearing control and normal mice. The tumor burden reduced to 29.5% and 67% after treatment with 1.5 and 3.0 mg kg^-1  day^-1 lectin. TDSL triggered the cell cycle arrest at the G₀ /G₁ phase. The lectin can be a candidate for potent anticancer agents.

Modern Trends in the In Vitro Production and Use of Callus, Suspension Cells and Root Cultures of Medicinal Plants

This paper studies modern methods of producing and using callus, suspension cells and root cultures of medicinal plants in vitro. A new solution for natural product production is the use of an alternative source of renewable, environmentally friendly raw materials: callus, suspension and root cultures of higher plants in vitro. The possibility of using hairy root cultures as producers of various biologically active substances is studied. It is proven that the application of the genetic engineering achievements that combine in vitro tissue culture and molecular biology methods was groundbreaking in terms of the intensification of the extraction process of compounds significant for the medical industry. It is established that of all the callus processing methods, suspension and root cultures in vitro, the Agrobacterium method is the most widely used in practice. The use of agrobacteria has advantages over the biolistic method since it increases the proportion of stable transformation events, can deliver large DNA segments and does not require special ballistic devices. As a result of the research, the most effective strains of agrobacteria are identified.

Increase of MAL-II Binding Alpha2,3-Sialylated Glycan Is Associated with 5-FU Resistance and Short Survival of Cholangiocarcinoma Patients

Background and objectives: Sialylation plays important roles in tumor progression. Our present study aimed to demonstrate the alteration of sialylation and its role in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Materials and Methods: The α2,3- and α2,6-sialylation in CCA tissue was analyzed by lectin-histochemistry using Maackia amurensis lectin-II (MAL-II) and Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA). CCA cell lines were treated with the pan-sialylation inhibitor 3Fax-peracetyl-Neu5Ac (3F-Sia) followed by proliferation and chemosensitivity assays. Results: MAL-II binding α2,3-Sialylated Glycan (MAL-SG) and SNA binding α2,6-Sialylated Glycan (SNA-SG) were both elevated in CCA compared with hyperplastic/dysplastic (HP/DP) and normal bile ducts (NBD). The positive staining for MAL-SG or SNA-SG were found in 82% (61/74) of the CCA cases. Higher expression of MAL-SG in CCA was associated with shorter survival of the patients. The median survival of patients with high and low MAL-SG were 167 and 308 days, respectively, with overall survival of 233 days, suggesting the involvement of MAL-SG in CCA progression. MAL-SG expression of CCA cell lines was markedly decreased after treatment with 3F-Sia for 48 to 72 h. While proliferation of CCA cells were not affected by 3F-Sia treatment, their susceptibility to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was significantly enhanced. These results suggest that sialylation is involved in the development of 5-FU resistance and the sialylation inhibitor 3F-Sia can be used as a chemosensitizer for CCA. Conclusions: Sialylation is critically involved in the development of chemoresistance of CCA, and sialylation inhibitors may be used as a chemosensitizer in CCA treatment.

The Diverse Contributions of Fucose Linkages in Cancer

Fucosylation is a post-translational modification of glycans, proteins, and lipids that is responsible for many biological processes. Fucose conjugation via α(1,2), α(1,3), α(1,4), α(1,6), and O'- linkages to glycans, and variations in fucosylation linkages, has important implications for cancer biology. This review focuses on the roles that fucosylation plays in cancer, specifically through modulation of cell surface proteins and signaling pathways. How L-fucose and serum fucosylation patterns might be used for future clinical diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic approaches will be discussed.

N-glycan profiling of papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues by MALDI-TOF-MS

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a type of thyroid cancer whose incidence rate has increased recently all over the world. Glycosylation is a crucial post-translational modification (PTM) for the regulation of thyroid hormone synthesis in thyroid glands. However, our knowledge regarding the N-glycosylation change in PTC is limited. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to profile glycans in PTC tissues by mass spectrometry. Herein, we have analyzed the N-glycans of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of patients diagnosed with PTC in a matched case-control study. Using MALDI-TOF(/TOF)-MS, 35 enzymatically released N-glycan compositions were characterized. The statistical analyses showed significant differences including six N-glycan compositions (p < 0.001) between patients and controls. It was determined that four of them (H5N4E1, H5N4F1E1, H5N4F1L1E1 and H5N4F1E2, E: α2,6-linked sialic acid; L: α2,3-linked sialic acid) were up-regulated in PTC tissues, whereas two N-glycans (H8N2 and H9N2) found to be down-regulated. Besides, a significant difference was found in six different N-glycan traits. Variants of PTC (follicular, classical, hurtle cell) were also studied to define specific N-glycan change for each variant.

MicroRNA-30a suppresses papillary thyroid cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion by directly targeting E2F7

microRNA (miRNA/miR)-30a, a tumor-associated miRNA, has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of different types of human cancer. Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine malignancy, of which papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) accounts for ~80-90% of all TC. However, the effect of miR-30a in PTC is yet to be fully elucidated. The TPC-1 human PTC cell line, as well as the normal human thyroid cell line (HT-ori3), were utilized in the current study. The PTC cell line was transfected with a miR-30a mimic. Subsequently, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the expression of miR-30a and E2F transcription factor 7 (E2F7). Cell proliferation was assessed via a MTT assay and transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to detect the migration and invasion of PTC cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was also utilized to clarify the association between miR-30a and E2F7. The results of the current study revealed that miR-30a was significantly downregulated in TPC-1 cells compared with HT-ori3 cells and that the expression of E2F7 was significantly upregulated in PTC cells. The upregulation of miR-30a also inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of PTC cells. Furthermore, the luciferase assay revealed that miR-30a binds to the 3'-UTR of E2F7. Additionally, the overexpression of miR-30a decreased E2F7 levels in TPC-1 cells. These results indicate that miR-30a functions as a tumor suppressor in PTC by direct targeting E2F7 and that miR-30a may be a novel therapeutic target for patients with PTC.