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Kutzner TJ, Gabba A, FitzGerald FG, Shilova NV, García Caballero G, Ludwig AK, Manning JC, Knospe C, Kaltner H, Sinowatz F, Murphy PV, Cudic M, Bovin NV, Gabius HJ. How altering the modular architecture affects aspects of lectin activity: case study on human galectin-1. Glycobiology 2019; 29:593-607. [PMID: 31091305 PMCID: PMC6639544 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Discoveries on involvement of glycan-protein recognition in many (patho)physiological processes are directing attention to exploring the significance of a fundamental structural aspect of sugar receptors beyond glycan specificity, i.e., occurrence of distinct types of modular architecture. In order to trace clues for defining design-functionality relationships in human lectins, a lectin's structural unit has been used as source material for engineering custom-made variants of the wild-type protein. Their availability facilitates comparative analysis toward the stated aim. With adhesion/growth-regulatory human galectin-1 as example, the strategy of evaluating how changes of its design (here, from the homodimer of non-covalently associated domains to (i) linker-connected di- and tetramers and (ii) a galectin-3-like protein) affect activity is illustrated by using three assay systems of increasing degree of glycan complexity. Whereas calorimetry with two cognate disaccharides and array testing with 647 (glyco)compounds disclosed no major changes, galectin histochemical staining profiles of tissue sections that present natural glycome complexity revealed differences between wild-type and linker-connected homo-oligomers as well as between the galectin-3-like variant and wild-type galectin-3 for cell-type positivity, level of intensity at the same site and susceptibility for inhibition by a bivalent glycocompound. These results underscore the strength of the documented approach. Moreover, they give direction to proceed to (i) extending its application to other members of this lectin family, especially galectin-3 and (ii) then analyzing impact of architectural alterations on cell surface lattice formation and ensuing biosignaling systematically, considering the variants' potential for translational medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja J Kutzner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Adele Gabba
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Forrest G FitzGerald
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton FL, USA
| | - Nadezhda V Shilova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Gabriel García Caballero
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna-Kristin Ludwig
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Joachim C Manning
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Clemens Knospe
- Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Herbert Kaltner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Fred Sinowatz
- Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul V Murphy
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Mare Cudic
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton FL, USA
| | - Nicolai V Bovin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Centre for Kode Technology Innovation, School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Hans-Joachim Gabius
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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Diaz-Galvez KR, Teran-Saavedra NG, Burgara-Estrella AJ, Fernandez-Quiroz D, Silva-Campa E, Acosta-Elias M, Sarabia-Sainz HM, Pedroza-Montero MR, Sarabia-Sainz JA. Specific capture of glycosylated graphene oxide by an asialoglycoprotein receptor: a strategic approach for liver-targeting. RSC Adv 2019; 9:9899-9906. [PMID: 35520911 PMCID: PMC9062377 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09732a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we report the evaluation of lactosylated graphene oxide (GO-AL) as a potential drug carrier targeted at an asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) from hepatic cancer cells. Structural-modification, safety evaluation, and functional analysis of GO-AL were performed. The structure and morphology of the composite were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), while Raman and FTIR spectroscopy were used to track the chemical modification. For the safe application of GO-AL, an evaluation of the cytotoxic effect, hemolytic properties, and specific interactions of the glycoconjugate were also studied. SEM and AFM analysis of the GO showed graphene sheets with a layer size of 2-3 nm, though a few of them reached 4 nm. The Raman spectra presented characteristic peaks of graphene oxide at 1608 cm-1 and 1350 cm-1, corresponding to G and D bands, respectively. Besides, Si-O peaks for the APTES conjugates of GO were identified by FTIR spectroscopy. No cytotoxic or hemolytic effects were observed for GO samples, thus proving their biocompatibility. The interaction of Ricinus communis lectin confirmed that GO-AL has a biorecognition capability and an exposed galactose structure. This biorecognition capability was accompanied by the determination of the specific absorption of lactosylated GO by HepG2 cells mediated through the asialoglycoprotein receptor. The successful conjugation, hemolytic safety, and specific recognition described here for lactosylated GO indicate its promise as an efficient drug-delivery vehicle to hepatic tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R. Diaz-Galvez
- Departamento de Investigación en Polímeros y Materiales, Universidad de SonoraHermosilloMexico
| | | | | | | | - Erika Silva-Campa
- Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de SonoraHermosilloMexico
| | - Monica Acosta-Elias
- Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de SonoraHermosilloMexico
| | - Hector M. Sarabia-Sainz
- Departamento de Ciencias del Deporte y de la Actividad Física, Universidad de SonoraHermosilloMexico
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Kaltner H, García Caballero G, Ludwig AK, Manning JC, Gabius HJ. From glycophenotyping by (plant) lectin histochemistry to defining functionality of glycans by pairing with endogenous lectins. Histochem Cell Biol 2018; 149:547-568. [DOI: 10.1007/s00418-018-1676-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Wang SY, Laborda P, Lu AM, Wang M, Duan XC, Liu L, Voglmeir J. Chemo-enzymatic approach to access diastereopure α-substituted GlcNAc derivatives. J Carbohydr Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/07328303.2017.1321116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Su-Yan Wang
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Pedro Laborda
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ai-Min Lu
- College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Wang
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu-Chu Duan
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Liu
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- Qlyco Ltd., Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Josef Voglmeir
- Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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Bivalent O -glycoside mimetics with S /disulfide/ Se substitutions and aromatic core: Synthesis, molecular modeling and inhibitory activity on biomedically relevant lectins in assays of increasing physiological relevance. Bioorg Med Chem 2017; 25:3158-3170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Manning JC, García Caballero G, Knospe C, Kaltner H, Gabius HJ. Network analysis of adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins and their binding sites in adult chicken retina and choroid. J Anat 2017; 231:23-37. [PMID: 28425099 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly ordered multilayered organization of the adult chicken retina is a suitable test model for examining zonal distribution of the members of a bioeffector family. Based on the concept of the sugar code, the functional pairing of glycan epitopes with cognate receptors (lectins) is emerging as a means to explain the control of diverse physiological activities. Having recently completed the biochemical characterization of all seven adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins present in chicken, it was possible to establish how the individual characteristics of their expression profiles add up to shape the galectin network, which until now has not been defined at this level of complexity. This information will also have relevance in explaining the region-specific presence of glycan determinants in the retina, as illustrated in the first part of this study using a panel of nine plant/fungal agglutinins. The following systematic monitoring of the galectins yielded patterns for which quantitative and qualitative differences were detected. Obviously, positivity in distinct layers is not confined to a single protein of this family, e.g. CG-1A, CG-3 or CG-8. These results underline the requirement for network analysis for these proteins that can functionally interact in additive or antagonistic modes. Labeling of the tissue galectins facilitated profiling of their accessible binding sites. It also revealed differences among the galectin family members, highlighting the ability of this method to define binding properties on the level of tissue sections. Methodologically, the detection of endogenous lectins intimates that cognate glycans can become inaccessible, a notable caveat for lectin histochemical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim C Manning
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gabriel García Caballero
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Clemens Knospe
- Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Herbert Kaltner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Hans-Joachim Gabius
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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Taatjes DJ, Roth J. In focus in HCB. Histochem Cell Biol 2017; 147:303-305. [PMID: 28247029 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-017-1541-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Taatjes
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.
| | - Jürgen Roth
- University of Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
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Corfield A. Eukaryotic protein glycosylation: a primer for histochemists and cell biologists. Histochem Cell Biol 2017; 147:119-147. [PMID: 28012131 PMCID: PMC5306191 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1526-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Proteins undergo co- and posttranslational modifications, and their glycosylation is the most frequent and structurally variegated type. Histochemically, the detection of glycan presence has first been performed by stains. The availability of carbohydrate-specific tools (lectins, monoclonal antibodies) has revolutionized glycophenotyping, allowing monitoring of distinct structures. The different types of protein glycosylation in Eukaryotes are described. Following this educational survey, examples where known biological function is related to the glycan structures carried by proteins are given. In particular, mucins and their glycosylation patterns are considered as instructive proof-of-principle case. The tissue and cellular location of glycoprotein biosynthesis and metabolism is reviewed, with attention to new findings in goblet cells. Finally, protein glycosylation in disease is documented, with selected examples, where aberrant glycan expression impacts on normal function to let disease pathology become manifest. The histological applications adopted in these studies are emphasized throughout the text.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Corfield
- Mucin Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, Bristol Royal Infirmary, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS2 8HW, UK.
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Teaming up synthetic chemistry and histochemistry for activity screening in galectin-directed inhibitor design. Histochem Cell Biol 2016; 147:285-301. [PMID: 28013366 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1525-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A hallmark of endogenous lectins is their ability to select a few distinct glycoconjugates as counterreceptors for functional pairing from the natural abundance of cellular glycoproteins and glycolipids. As a consequence, assays to assess inhibition of lectin binding should necessarily come as close as possible to the physiological situation, to characterize an impact of a synthetic compound on biorelevant binding with pharmaceutical perspective. We here introduce in a proof-of-principle manner work with sections of paraffin-embedded tissue (jejunum, epididymis) and labeled adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins, harboring one (galectin-1 and galectin-3) or two (galectin-8) types of lectin domain. Six pairs of synthetic lactosides from tailoring of the headgroup (3'-O-sulfation) and the aglycone (β-methyl to aromatic S- and O-linked extensions) as well as three bi- to tetravalent glycoclusters were used as test compounds. Varying extents of reduction in staining intensity by synthetic compounds relative to unsubstituted/free lactose proved the applicability and sensitivity of the method. Flanking cytofluorimetric assays on lectin binding to native cells gave similar grading, excluding a major impact of tissue fixation. The experiments revealed cell/tissue binding of galectin-8 preferentially via one domain, depending on the cell type so that the effect of an inhibitor in a certain context cannot be extrapolated to other cells/tissues. Moreover, the work with the other galectins attests that this assay enables comprehensive analysis of the galectin network in serial tissue sections to determine overlaps and regional differences in inhibitory profiles.
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Abstract
An experimental observation on selecting binding partners underlies the introduction of the term 'lectin'. Agglutination of erythrocytes depending on their blood-group status revealed the presence of activities in plant extracts that act in an epitope-specific manner like antibodies. As it turned out, their binding partners on the cell surface are carbohydrates of glycoconjugates. By definition, lectins are glycan-specific (mono- or oligosaccharides presented by glycoconjugates or polysaccharides) receptors, distinguished from antibodies, from enzymes using carbohydrates as substrates and from transporters of free saccharides. They are ubiquitous in Nature and structurally widely diversified. More than a dozen types of folding pattern have evolved for proteins that bind glycans. Used as tool, this capacity facilitates versatile mapping of glycan presence so that plant/fungal and also animal/human lectins have found a broad spectrum of biomedical applications. The functional pairing with physiological counterreceptors is involved in a wide range of cellular activities from cell adhesion, glycoconjugate trafficking to growth regulation and lets lectins act as sensors/effectors in host defense.
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Lipid glycosylation: a primer for histochemists and cell biologists. Histochem Cell Biol 2016; 147:175-198. [DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1518-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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C-type lectins: their network and roles in pathogen recognition and immunity. Histochem Cell Biol 2016; 147:223-237. [DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1523-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Galectin-3 Induces a Pro-degradative/inflammatory Gene Signature in Human Chondrocytes, Teaming Up with Galectin-1 in Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39112. [PMID: 27982117 PMCID: PMC5159921 DOI: 10.1038/srep39112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory chemo- and cytokines and matrix-degrading proteases underlie the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Aiming to define upstream regulators for these disease markers, we pursued initial evidence for an upregulation of members of the adhesion/growth-regulatory galectin family. Immunohistochemical localization of galectin-3 (Gal-3) in sections of human cartilage with increasing levels of degeneration revealed a linear correlation reaching a chondrocyte positivity of 60%. Presence in situ was cytoplasmic, the lectin was secreted from OA chondrocytes in culture and binding of Gal-3 yielded lactose-inhibitable surface staining. Exposure of cells to the lectin led to enhanced gene expression and secretion of functional disease markers. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis broadened this result to reveal a pro-degradative/inflammatory gene signature under the control of NF-κB. Fittingly, targeting this route of activation by inhibitors impaired the unfavourable response to Gal-3 binding, as also seen by shortening the lectin’s collagen-like repeat region. Gal-3’s activation profile overlaps with that of homodimeric galectin-1 (Gal-1) and also has distinctive (supplementing) features. Tested at subsaturating concentrations in a mixture, we found cooperation between the two galectins, apparently able to team up to promote OA pathogenesis. In summary, our results suggest that a network of endogenous lectins is relevant for initiating this process cascade.
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Abstract
Carbohydrates have physiological importance far beyond their roles as source of energy (glycolysis) and activated hydrogen for synthesis (pentosephosphate pathway) or as constituent of the backbone of nucleic acids and of cell wall polysaccharides. The extent of compositional and structural variability of their oligomers (glycans) is unsurpassed in Nature due to the unique property of independently combining the following parameters with sequence: anomeric status, linkage positions, ring size, addition of branches and site-specific introduction of substitutions. The monosaccharides (letters of the third alphabet of life) thus generate 'words' (signals) of high-density coding capacity. These 'words' are part of the glycans on proteins and lipids, and the glycome represented by these 'words' in their entirety has cell type-dependent features. The often limited intramolecular flexibility of oligosaccharides along with an abundance of contact points for intermolecular interactions is ideal for binding processes. Glycan-based 'words' can thus be 'read,' and their message translated into cellular effects by receptors called lectins. This journal's special issue covers central aspects of the concept of the sugar code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Joachim Gabius
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80539, Munich, Germany.
| | - Jürgen Roth
- Division of Cell and Molecular Pathology, University of Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
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Multivalent Carbohydrate-Lectin Interactions: How Synthetic Chemistry Enables Insights into Nanometric Recognition. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21050629. [PMID: 27187342 PMCID: PMC6274006 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21050629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycan recognition by sugar receptors (lectins) is intimately involved in many aspects of cell physiology. However, the factors explaining the exquisite selectivity of their functional pairing are not yet fully understood. Studies toward this aim will also help appraise the potential for lectin-directed drug design. With the network of adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins as therapeutic targets, the strategy to recruit synthetic chemistry to systematically elucidate structure-activity relationships is outlined, from monovalent compounds to glyco-clusters and glycodendrimers to biomimetic surfaces. The versatility of the synthetic procedures enables to take examining structural and spatial parameters, alone and in combination, to its limits, for example with the aim to produce inhibitors for distinct galectin(s) that exhibit minimal reactivity to other members of this group. Shaping spatial architectures similar to glycoconjugate aggregates, microdomains or vesicles provides attractive tools to disclose the often still hidden significance of nanometric aspects of the different modes of lectin design (sequence divergence at the lectin site, differences of spatial type of lectin-site presentation). Of note, testing the effectors alone or in combination simulating (patho)physiological conditions, is sure to bring about new insights into the cooperation between lectins and the regulation of their activity.
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Gabius HJ, Manning JC, Kopitz J, André S, Kaltner H. Sweet complementarity: the functional pairing of glycans with lectins. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:1989-2016. [PMID: 26956894 PMCID: PMC11108359 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2163-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Carbohydrates establish the third alphabet of life. As part of cellular glycoconjugates, the glycans generate a multitude of signals in a minimum of space. The presence of distinct glycotopes and the glycome diversity are mapped by sugar receptors (antibodies and lectins). Endogenous (tissue) lectins can read the sugar-encoded information and translate it into functional aspects of cell sociology. Illustrated by instructive examples, each glycan has its own ligand properties. Lectins with different folds can converge to target the same epitope, while intrafamily diversification enables functional cooperation and antagonism. The emerging evidence for the concept of a network calls for a detailed fingerprinting. Due to the high degree of plasticity and dynamics of the display of genes for lectins the validity of extrapolations between different organisms of the phylogenetic tree yet is inevitably limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- H-J Gabius
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinärstr. 13, 80539, Munich, Germany.
| | - J C Manning
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinärstr. 13, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - J Kopitz
- Institute of Pathology, Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S André
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinärstr. 13, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - H Kaltner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Veterinärstr. 13, 80539, Munich, Germany
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