Snake venom galactoside-binding lectins: a structural and functional overview

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Toxicology
• Glycobiology

Background:

• Snake venom galactoside-binding lectins (SVgalLs) are toxins that interact with terminal galactoside residues on glycans.
• First identified 35 years ago, numerous SVgalLs from Viperidae and Elapidae snakes have since been characterized.
• Advancements in protein-carbohydrate recognition techniques facilitate the screening of potential biological targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review 35 years of research on SVgalLs.
• To highlight the structure and carbohydrate recognition functions of SVgalLs.
• To discuss the role of SVgalLs in envenomation pathophysiology and their potential biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on SVgalLs over the past 35 years.
• Analysis of structural and functional data of characterized SVgalLs.
• Examination of protein-carbohydrate recognition techniques and their application to SVgalLs.

Main Results:

• Comprehensive overview of SVgalLs from Viperidae and Elapidae families.
• Detailed insights into the structure-function relationships of SVgalLs.
• Identification of potential biomedical applications for SVgalLs based on their recognition properties.

Conclusions:

• SVgalLs play a significant role in snakebite envenomation pathophysiology.
• Understanding SVgalLs' carbohydrate-binding properties is crucial for developing antivenoms and therapeutics.
• SVgalLs represent promising candidates for various biomedical applications.