[Lectins in microbiological diagnostic reagents: a universal means or just a test for glycosylation]

The author analyzes published and his own experimental data on interspecies, interstrain, and intrastrain differences in groups of some gram negative and gram positive bacteria, protozoa, and viruses in their interactions with lectins. An attempt to analyze the available material from the glycobiology viewpoint is made, by connecting the problem of a microbiologic diagnostic agent with the problem of biomolecular recognition.