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Updated: May 9, 2025

Biomimetic Materials to Characterize Bacteria-host Interactions
Published on: November 16, 2015
Bacterial lectins: multifunctional tools in pathogenesis and possible drug targets
Mario Fares1, Anne Imberty2, Alexander Titz1
1Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Standort Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany; Department of Chemistry, PharmaScienceHub (PSH), Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
Abstract:
Glycans are vital macromolecules with diverse biological roles, decoded by lectins - specialized carbohydrate-binding proteins crucial in pathogenesis. The WHO identifies bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a critical global health challenge, necessitating innovative strategies that also target non-antibiotic pathways. Recent studies highlight bacterial lectins as key players in pathogenesis and promising therapeutic targets, with early clinical success using glycomimetics and vaccines to treat and prevent AMR-related infections. This review covers the current knowledge on bacterial lectins, their classifications, and roles in host recognition and adhesion, biofilm formation, cytotoxicity, and host immune evasion, with examples of well-characterized lectins. It also explores their therapeutic potential and highlights novel lectins with unknown functions, encouraging further research.
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