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C-type lectins in arthropods: Evolutionary diversification and prospects for pathogen defense
Hongyu Li1, Jialu Xu2, Hairun Li2
1Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, PR China; Ocean College, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, PR China.
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
|June 2, 2026
Summary
C-type lectins (CTLs) in arthropods are key immune hubs, not just pathogen sensors. They integrate pathogen detection with immune effector activation, crucial for innate immunity and evolution.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- C-type lectins (CTLs) are calcium-dependent carbohydrate-binding proteins.
- In arthropods, CTLs function beyond pathogen recognition, acting as immune hubs.
- Arthropod immunity relies exclusively on innate mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in arthropod C-type lectin research.
- To highlight the diverse roles of CTLs in arthropod innate immunity.
- To explore the evolutionary mechanisms driving CTL diversification.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of current literature on arthropod CTLs.
- Analysis of structural and functional diversification of CTLs.
- Examination of evolutionary pathways and gene expansion in CTL families.
Main Results:
- Arthropod CTLs are central to pathogen recognition, melanization, phagocytosis, antimicrobial peptide induction, antiviral defense, and microbiota homeostasis.
- Functional diversification is driven by calcium dependence modulation, CRD variations, domain remodeling, gene expansion, and RNA plasticity.
- CTLs directly link immune recognition to prophenoloxidase activation and IMD/JAK/STAT signaling pathways.
Conclusions:
- Arthropod CTLs demonstrate significant functional diversification, enabling adaptable immune responses.
- CTL evolution showcases how innate immune systems gain complexity via domain recombination and gene expansion.
- Understanding arthropod CTLs offers insights into immune evolution and guidance for vector control and aquaculture.
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