Glycosylation of purified buffalo heart galectin-1 plays crucial role in maintaining its structural and functional integrity

Galectins—Potential Therapeutic Targets for Neurodegenerative Disorders

Advancements in medicine have increased the longevity of humans, resulting in a higher incidence of chronic diseases. Due to the rise in the elderly population, age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent. The available treatment options only provide symptomatic relief and do not cure the underlying cause of the disease. Therefore, it has become imperative to discover new markers and therapies to modulate the course of disease progression and develop better treatment options for the affected individuals. Growing evidence indicates that neuroinflammation is a common factor and one of the main inducers of neuronal damage and degeneration. Galectins (Gals) are a class of β-galactoside-binding proteins (lectins) ubiquitously expressed in almost all vital organs. Gals modulate various cellular responses and regulate significant biological functions, including immune response, proliferation, differentiation, migration, and cell growth, through their interaction with glycoproteins and glycolipids. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on the Gal superfamily, with Gal-1, Gal-3, and Gal-9 in prime focus. Their roles have been described in modulating neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative processes. In this review, we discuss the role of Gals in the causation and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. We describe the role of Gals in microglia and astrocyte modulation, along with their pro- and anti-inflammatory functions. In addition, we discuss the potential use of Gals as a novel therapeutic target for neuroinflammation and restoring tissue damage in neurodegenerative diseases.

Investigation of Gal-3 Expression Pattern in Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients Suffering From Neurodegenerative Disorders

We performed this study to investigate the possibility of a definitive pattern of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) expression in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. In our study, we collected the CSF and serum samples of 31 AD patients, 19 ALS patients and 50 normal healthy subjects (controls). Quantitative ELISA measured Gal-3 concentrations in CSF and serum samples. A comparative analysis was performed to analyze and understand the Gal-3 expression pattern. A number of neuropsychological assessments and statistical analyses were carried out to validate our findings. Recent researches have established the role of galectins in various neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), but a definitive pattern of galectin expression is still elusive. A significant difference was observed in serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations between AD patients and healthy controls. The difference in serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations between ALS patients vs. controls was lesser as compared to AD patients vs. controls. The difference in serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations of AD vs. ALS patients was not significant. The MMSE score and serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations in AD and ALS patients, and controls exhibited a significant positive correlation. The findings of the present study are expected to provide an insight into the definitive pattern of Gal-3 expression in AD and ALS patients, and might thus establish Gal-3 as a strong biomarker. This in turn will open up new and promising research avenues targeting the expression of galectins to modulate the progression of NDDs, and pave the way for novel therapeutic options.

Cardiac complications of congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG): a systematic review of the literature

Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are inborn errors of metabolism due to protein and lipid hypoglycosylation. This rapidly growing family of genetic diseases comprises 103 CDG types, with a broad phenotypic diversity ranging from mild to severe poly-organ -system dysfunction. This literature review summarizes cardiac involvement, reported in 20% of CDG. CDG with cardiac involvement were divided according to the associated type of glycosylation: N-glycosylation, O-glycosylation, dolichol synthesis, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor biosynthesis, COG complex, V-ATPase complex, and other glycosylation pathways. The aim of this review was to document and interpret the incidence of heart disease in CDG patients. Heart disorders were grouped into cardiomyopathies, structural defects, and arrhythmogenic disorders. This work may contribute to improved early management of cardiac complications in CDG.

Studies on the role of goat heart galectin-1 as an erythrocyte membrane perturbing agent

Galectins are β-galactoside binding lectins with a potential hemolytic role on erythrocyte membrane integrity and permeability. In the present study, goat heart galectin-1 (GHG-1) was purified and investigated for its hemolytic actions on erythrocyte membrane. When exposed to various saccharides, lactose and sucrose provided maximum protection against hemolysis, while glucose and galactose provided lesser protection against hemolysis. GHG-1 agglutinated erythrocytes were found to be significantly hemolyzed in comparison with unagglutinated erythrocytes. A concentration dependent rise in the hemolysis of trypsinized rabbit erythrocytes was observed in the presence of GHG-1. Similarly, a temperature dependent gradual increase in percent hemolysis was observed in GHG-1 agglutinated erythrocytes as compared to negligible hemolysis in unagglutinated cells. The hemolysis of GHG-1 treated erythrocytes showed a sharp rise with the increasing pH up to 7.5 which became constant till pH 9.5. The extent of erythrocyte hemolysis increased with the increase in the incubation period, with maximum hemolysis after 5 h of incubation. The results of this study establish the ability of galectins as a potential hemolytic agent of erythrocyte membrane, which in turn opens an interesting avenue in the field of proteomics and glycobiology.

Studies on the role of goat heart galectin-1 as a tool for detecting post-malignant changes in glycosylation pattern

Galectins are mammalian lectins established to play a crucial role in the progression of various cancer types by the virtue of their differential expression in normal and cancerous cells. In the present study, goat heart galectin-1 (GHG-1) was purified and investigated for its potential role in the detection of post-malignant changes in glycosylation pattern. When exposed to superoxide radicals generated from a pyrogallol auto-oxidation system, GHG-1 treated erythrocyte suspension released higher amount of oxyhemoglobin than the unagglutinated erythrocytes. The extent of erythrocyte hemolysis was found to be directly proportional to concentrations of hypochlorous acid. GHG-1 was used to detect the change in the β-galactoside expression pattern in erythrocyte membrane from human donors suffering from prostate and breast cancer. No significant change was observed in the hemolysis of lectin agglutinated erythrocytes collected from pre-operated breast cancer patients, whereas significant increase was observed in normal healthy control and post-operated samples. Findings of this study proclaim GHG-1 as an important tool for the detection of post-malignant changes in glycosylation pattern.