FROM SERUM TO TISSUE: GALECTIN-BINDING GLYCOFORMS OF SERUM GLYCOPROTEINS AS FUNCTIONAL BIOMARKERS
Author
Summary, in English
Galectins are small soluble proteins defined by a conserved sequence motif that forms a defining β-galactoside binding site shared among galectins; adjacent binding sites give each galectin a unique fine specificity for a specific subset of galactose containing glycans. A wealth of data now suggests important roles of galectins in both cancer and inflammation. The aim of this project is to get a clearer picture of how these simple proteins can play such a wide variety of roles. Our findings suggest a basic cellular mechanism– galectins use their unique fine specificities to bind and regulate the cellular trafficking of glycoproteins, which could lead to functional effects, such as targeting a glycoprotein to either side of a cell, changing the time it stays at the cell surface, and organizing it relative to other glycoproteins. Coupled to the well-known changes of glycans occurring during pathological conditions, this mechanism predicts a rich and complex array of regulatory functions of the galectins. This will depend on the match between the binding specificity and cellular expression of the galectin and the structure and cellular expression of the glycan.
Department/s
- Division of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology - MIG
- BioCARE: Biomarkers in Cancer Medicine improving Health Care, Education and Innovation
Publishing year
2012
Language
English
Publication/Series
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
Volume
2012:30
Full text
- Available as PDF - 19 MB
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Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Lund University
Topic
- Microbiology in the medical area
- Immunology in the medical area
Keywords
- Galectin
- glycoproteins
- intracellular sorting
- biomarkers
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1652-8220
- ISBN: 978-91-86871-92-5
Defence date
4 May 2012
Defence time
09:00
Defence place
Belfragesalen BMC D15, Lund
Opponent
- Hans Wandall