Roles of galectins in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Protein/carbohydrate interactions through specific protein families termed lectin control essential biological processes. Galectins, a family of animal lectins defined by shared amino acid sequence with affinity for β-galactosides, appear to be functionally polyvalent in a wide range of biological activity. Recent studies have identified immunoregulatory roles of galectins in intestinal inflammatory disorders. Galectin-1 and galectin -2 contribute to the suppression of intestinal inflammation by the induction of apoptosis of activated T cells, whereas galectin-4 is involved in the exacerbation of this inflammation by specifically stimulating intestinal CD4+ T cells to produce IL-6. We review how different members of the galectins provide inhibitory or stimulatory signals to control intestinal immune response under intestinal inflammation.

Expression Patterns Suggest that Despite Considerable Functional Redundancy, Galectin-4 and -6 Play Distinct Roles in Normal and Damaged Mouse Digestive Tract

“…4k showing the same crypt as in Fig. As galectin-6 was not detected in the colonic lamina propria, our results show that, contrary to galectin-4, galectin-6 is unlikely to regulate inflammation through direct binding to lamina propria lymphocytes or macrophages, as proposed for galectin-4 (Hokama et al 2008;Paclik, Danese, et al 2008;Paclik et al 2011). To determine whether these aggregates were detrimental or beneficial to the crypt cells was, however, beyond the scope of this work.…”

Quantotypic Properties of QconCAT Peptides Targeting Bovine Host Response toStreptococcus uberis

“…7,10,20 The proteins estimated to be present at μg/ml level in milk include CD14, 24 the calgranulins (CALGB and CALGC) secreted by neutrophils and macrophages, 25 cathepsin C (CATC) secreted from a variety of granulated immune cells, 26 and the immune regulatory galectins (LGALS1 and LGALS3). 27 The groups of very low abundant proteins include cytokines (IL1B, IL6, IL8, TNF-α), cytokine receptors (IL1RA, IL6R) and chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL3) which all are highly potent mediators of inflammation. These mediators elicit biological responses at very low concentrations often in the femtomolar to nanomolar range in both bovine 7 and human 28,29 tissues, hence their abundances may be below our current detection or quantification limit.…”

Recombinant expression, purification and preliminary biophysical and structural studies of C-terminal carbohydrate recognition domain from human galectin-4

“…defense [20], bowel inflammatory disease [21][22][23][24] and cancer [5,25]. The differential expression in malignancy processes of the gastrointestinal tract suggests the use of galectin-4 as a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker [16].…”