CARB 15 |
| Several families of lectins act at the mammalian cell surface to regulate outside-in signaling. The galectins are a family of lectins that are abundantly expressed in all multicellular organisms, and every mammalian cell expresses at least one galectin family member. Galectins regulate cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell migration and cell death, all processes that require a cell to respond to cues from the external environment. We have proposed that multivalent galectins at the cell surface bind and organize membrane glycoproteins into lattices, and that this process can directly send signals into the cell, or can positively or negatively modulate other signaling pathways. The different presentation of the carbohydrate recognition domains of the various galectins will result in recognition of unique sets of glycoproteins as well as unique organization of the glycoprotein lattice, so that different galectins will send distinct signals into a cell. Examples of galectin-glycoprotein interactions that regulate various types of cell signaling will be discussed. |
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Carbohydrate Recognition Mechanisms and Applications
2:00 PM-4:30 PM, Monday, 27 March 2006 Georgia World Congress Center -- B409, Oral
Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry |