Omics-driven bioinformatics for plant lectins discovery and functional annotation - A comprehensive review

Area of Science:

• Plant science
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Lectins are proteins known for specific carbohydrate binding.
• Plant lectins exhibit diverse bioactivities including antimicrobial, anticancer, and insecticidal properties.
• Omics data banks offer a wealth of lectin and lectin-like sequences for study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of plant lectin annotation, characterization, classification, and predicted applications.
• To discuss the allergenic and toxic properties of plant lectins and methods for predicting them.
• To highlight the potential of plant lectins in the omics era.

Main Methods:

• Bioinformatics approaches for sequence elucidation and function prediction.
• Review of existing literature on plant lectin properties and applications.
• Analysis of tools for predicting allergenic and toxic effects from primary structure.

Main Results:

• Identification of numerous plant lectin candidates from omics data.
• Prediction of roles for lectins in plant signaling pathways.
• Characterization of diverse biological activities and potential applications.
• Discussion of allergenic and toxic potentials and predictive tools.

Conclusions:

• Plant lectins represent a promising area for research with significant potential applications.
• Bioinformatics is essential for advancing lectinology in the omics era.
• Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the functions and safety of plant lectins.