Galectin

About: Galectin is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2076 publications have been published within this topic receiving 103409 citations. The topic is also known as: IPR001079 & Galectin.

Aminopyrimidine-galactose hybrids are highly selective galectin-3 inhibitors.

Abstract: Galectins are a family of carbohydrate recognition proteins involved in, among other things, modulating cell signalling and cell-environment interactions, giving them roles in several pathologies like cancer and idiopathic lung fibrosis. Hence, developing new galectin inhibitors with high affinity and high selectivity is important to be able to target such diseases. Most existing galectin inhibitors have a disaccharide scaffold, but there has been success as of late in developing monogalactoside inhibitors such as α-arylthioglycosides. Here, we report aminopyrimidine-derivatised galactosides as good galectin-3 inhibitors with affinities down to 1.7 μM and a more than 300-fold selectivity over galectin-1. Mutant studies replacing Arg144 in galectin-3 with lysine and serine support the hypothesis that the binding of the derivatives involves interactions with Arg144. Molecular dynamics simulations converged to stable poses of the inhibitor aminopyrimidine moiety with polar interactions with Asp148 and Ser237, while the aryl-aminopyrimidine ring stacked onto the side chain of Arg144. Hence, combining an aminopyrimidine motif with a phenyl α-thiogalactoside motif offers an attractive route towards highly selective galectin-3 inhibitors.

Identification of key amino acid residues determining ligand binding specificity, homodimerization and cellular distribution of human galectin-10

Abstract: Charcot-Leyden crystal protein/Gal-10, abundantly expressed in eosinophils and basophils, is related to several immune diseases. Recently, crystallographic and biochemical studies showed that Gal-10 cannot bind lactose, because a glutamate residue (Glu33) from another monomer blocks the binding site. Moreover, Gal-10 actually forms a novel dimeric structure compared to other galectins. To investigate the role that Glu33 plays in inhibiting lactose binding, we mutated this residue to glutamine, aspartate, and alanine. The structure of E33A shows that Gal-10 can now bind lactose. In the hemagglutination assay, lactose could inhibit E33A from inducing chicken erythrocyte agglutination. Furthermore, we identified a tryptophan residue (Trp127) at the interface of homodimer that is crucial for Gal-10 dimerization. The variant W127A, which exists as a monomer, exhibited higher hemagglutination activity than wild type Gal-10. The solid phase assay also showed that W127A could bind to lactose-modified sepharose-6B, whereas wild type Gal-10 could not. This indicates that the open carbohydrate-binding site of the W127A monomer can bind to lactose. In addition, the distribution of EGFP-tagged Gal-10 and its variants in HeLa cells was investigated. Because Trp72 is the highly conserved in the ligand binding sites of galectins, we used EGFP-tagged W72A to show that Gal-10 could not be transported into the nucleus, indicating that Trp72 is crucial for Gal-10 transport into that organelle.

Las proteasas en la progresión neoplásica

Abstract: SUMMARY Invasion and metastasis are the most important events in cancer progression. In these two phases, several molecules are implicated and have been long associated with several forms of cancer. Proteases play a critical role not only in tumor cell invasion, but also in the earliest stages of carcinogenesis and its associated changes: angiogenesis and metastasis. Aside from their ability to degrade the extracellular matrix, facilitate invasion and metastasis, proteases target a great variety of substrates that favor or inhibit cancer progression: b-FGF, HGF, VEGF, cell death receptors, cistatin-C, galectin, procollagen, and other proteases. Proteases are also signaling molecules that modulate other molecules by underlying pathways in addition to their degradative role. Proteases form interconnected cascades, circuits and networks that bring about the tumor’s potential for malignancy. Although, proteases are regulated by diverse molecules, it is known that tumoral and stromal cells secrete several biological molecules, including cytokines and chemokines that directly or indirectly regulate the protease-expression within the tumor’s microenvironment. The present review briefly summarizes some of the major aspects associated with the role of proteases in cancer progression.

Caveolin-1, galectin-3 and lipid raft domains in cancer cell signalling

Abstract: Spatial organization of the plasma membrane is an essential feature of the cellular response to external stimuli. Receptor organization at the cell surface mediates transmission of extracellular stimuli to intracellular signalling molecules and effectors that impact various cellular processes including cell differentiation, metabolism, growth, migration and apoptosis. Membrane domains include morphologically distinct plasma membrane invaginations such as clathrin-coated pits and caveolae, but also less well-defined domains such as lipid rafts and the galectin lattice. In the present chapter, we will discuss interaction between caveolae, lipid rafts and the galectin lattice in the control of cancer cell signalling.