The Universe of Galectin-Binding Partners and Their Functions in Health and Disease

MARIA F. TRONCOSO; MARIA T ELOLA; ADA BLIDNER; LUCIANA SARRIAS; MARIA ESPELT; GABRIEL RABINOVICH

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY

AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC

Lugar: Bethesda, Maryland; Año: 2023

0021-9258

Galectins, a family of evolutionarily conserved glycan-binding proteins, play keyroles in diverse biological processes including tissue repair, adipogenesis, immune cellhomeostasis, angiogenesis and pathogen recognition. Dysregulation of galectins andtheir ligands has been observed in a wide range of pathologic conditions includingcancer, autoimmune inflammation, infection, fibrosis and metabolic disorders. Throughprotein-glycan or protein-protein interactions, these endogenous lectins can shapeinitiation, perpetuation and resolution of these processes, suggesting their potentialroles in disease monitoring and treatment. However, in spite of considerable progress,a full understanding of the biology and therapeutic potential of galectins has not beenreached due to their diversity, multiplicity of cell targets, and receptor promiscuity. Inthis article we discuss the multiple galectin-binding partners present in different celltypes, focusing on their contributions to selected physiologic and pathologic settings.Understanding the molecular bases of galectin-ligand interactions, particularly theirglycan-dependency, biochemical nature of selected receptors and underlying signalingevents, might contribute to design rational therapeutic strategies to control a broadrange of pathologic conditions.