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Microbial lectin cofunction with lytic activities as a model for a general basic lectin role.

N Gilboa-Garber1, N Garber

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.

FEMS Microbiology Reviews
|September 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
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Lectins, proteins binding sugars, may function with lytic enzymes (lysins) to break down cells and molecules for nutrition, defense, or cell alteration. This co-function is observed across microorganisms, plants, and animals.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Lectins are proteins with sugar-binding activity, involved in various cellular interactions.
  • While lectin functions are diverse, their fundamental biological role remains largely unknown.
  • Existing knowledge highlights lectin involvement in cell aggregation, lysis, and alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a unifying hypothesis for the basic biological function of lectins and lectinoids.
  • To present experimental evidence and theoretical considerations supporting the proposed lectin function.
  • To elucidate the co-functional relationship between lectins and lytic enzymes (lysins).

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental evidence from microorganisms, plants, and animals.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Theoretical considerations on lectin-protein interactions.
  • Comparative analysis of lectin functions with lytic enzyme positioning sites, immunoglobulins, and hormones.

    • Main Results:

    • Lectins function as co-factors for lytic enzymes (lysins), facilitating cell and macromolecule lysis.
    • This lectin-lysin co-function enables nutrition, homeostasis, and protection.
    • Lectins also mediate cell alterations, fusion, invasion, and transformation.
    • Lectins exhibit resistance to proteolysis, extreme pH, and temperature.

    Conclusions:

    • The primary function of lectins is to enable the activity of lytic enzymes through specific binding and conformational induction.
    • This co-function explains diverse biological roles of lectins, including nutrition, defense, and cell communication.
    • The proposed hypothesis integrates various lectin-mediated phenomena, from cell lysis to complex interactions.