Lectins

Lectins (from legere - to read, to select), also called plant agglutinins, are a group of specialized soluble proteins, especially glycoproteins, which occur in animals and plants, specifically bind certain sugar residues and can influence numerous biological (also imunological) reactions.

The haemagglutinating function of various lectins is well known. lectins.

Frequent binding sites of lectins are found on the surface of cell membranes. Plant lectins are mainly found in the seeds of legumes.

In principle, lectins can activate reaction cascades; however, they do not possess their own catalytic ability like enzymes. Some lectins react with the carbohydrate residues of the IgE molecule and can thus cause false positive results.

One bacterial lectin is diphtheria toxin.

1. Gorakshakar AC et al (2016) Use of lectins in immunohematology. Asian J Transfus Sci 10:12-21.