Microbial lectins and their glycoprotein receptors. Glycoproteins II. Elsevier; 1997. pp. 475-506. [DOI: 10.1016/s0167-7306(08)60626-2]

Glycosylated SARs Cov 2 interaction with plant lectins

Lectins are non-immune carbohydrate-binding proteins/glycoproteins that are found everywhere in nature, from bacteria to human cells. They have also been a valuable biological tool for the purification and subsequent characterisation of glycoproteins due to their carbohydrate binding recognition capacity. Antinociceptive, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory activities and immune modulatory properties have been discovered in several plant lectins, with these qualities varying depending on the lectin carbohydrate-binding site. The Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that has swept the globe, killing millions and infecting millions more. Despite the availability of COVID-19 vaccinations and the vaccination of a huge portion of the world's population, viral infection rates continue to rise, causing major concern. Part of the reason for the vaccine's ineffectiveness has been attributed to repeated mutations in the virus's epitope determinant elements. The surface of the Coronavirus envelope is heavily glycosylated, with approximately sixty N-linked oligomannose, composite, and hybrid glycans covering the core of Man3GlcNAc2Asn. Some O-linked glycans have also been discovered. Many of these glyco-chains have also been subjected to multiple mutations, with only a few remaining conserved. As a result, numerous plant lectins with specificity for these viral envelope sugars have been discovered to interact preferentially with them and are being investigated as a potential future tool to combat coronaviruses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by preventing viral attachment to the host. The review will discuss the possible applications of plant lectins as anti-coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, antinociceptive, anti-inflammation and its immune modulating effect.

Interplay between dental caries pathogens, periodontal pathogens, and sugar molecules: approaches for prevention and treatment

Globally, oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people, accounting for 4.6% of the healthcare expenditure. Common oral diseases include dental caries and periodontal disease, associated with biofilms formed by cariogenic pathogens. Epidemiological studies associate carbohydrates with these diseases due to  the sugars metabolized by cariogenic pathogens. This review focuses on dental caries and periodontal pathogens, quorum sensing, lectin-carbohydrate interactions, and various sugar molecules. Cariogenic sugars significantly influence biofilms by enhancing pathogen adhesion, viability, and gene expressions associated with biofilm formation. Moreover, lectin-carbohydrate interactions contribute to biofilm stability. Disrupting these interactions is a potential strategy for oral disease prevention. The use of nanoparticles, such as quantum dots, provides novel insights into lectin-sugar interactions and the development of inhibitors. Additionally, nanomaterials like calcium phosphate nanoparticles neutralize acids and inhibit microbial growth. This overview emphasizes understanding the relationships between oral diseases, microbial communities, and sugars to devise preventive and therapeutic strategies against oral diseases.

Plant lectins as potent Anti-coronaviruses, Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antiulcer agents

Lectins are defined as carbohydrate-binding proteins/glycoproteins of none immune origin, they are ubiquitous in nature, exist from bacteria to human cells. And due to their carbohydrate-binding recognition capacity, they have been a useful biological tool for the purification of glycoproteins and their subsequent characterization. Some plant lectins have also been revealed to own antinociceptive, antiulcer, and anti-inflammatory properties, where these features, in many instances, depending on the lectin carbohydrate-binding site. Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that struck the entire world leaving millions of people dead and more infected. Although COVID-19 vaccines have been made available, and quite a large number of world populations have already been immunized, the viral infection rates remained in acceleration, which continues to provoke major concern about the vaccines' efficacy. The belief in the ineffectiveness of the vaccine has been attributed in part to the recurrent mutations that occur in the epitope determinant fragments of the virus. Coronavirus envelope surface is extensively glycosylated being covered by more than sixty N-linked oligomannose, composite, and hybrid glycans with a core of Man3GlcNAc2Asn. In addition some O-linked glycans are also detected. Of these glyco-chains, many have also been exposed to several mutations, and a few remained conserved. Therefore, numerous plant lectins with a specificity directed towards these viral envelope sugars have been found to interact preferentially with them and are suggested to be scrutinized as a possible future tool to combat coronaviruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) through blocking the viral attachment to the host cells. In this review, we will discuss the possible applications of plant lectins as anti-coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antiulcer agents with the proposed mechanism of their actions.

Lectins for histochemical demonstration of glycans

Lectins have been proven to be invaluable reagents for the histochemical detection of glycans in cells and tissues by light and electron microscopy. This technical review deals with the conditions of tissue fixation and embedding for lectin labeling, as well as various markers and related labeling techniques. Furthermore, protocols for lectin labeling of sections from paraffin and resin-embedded tissues are detailed together with various controls to demonstrate the specificity of the labeling by lectins.

Identification of a novel glycoprotein-binding activity in Streptococcus pyogenes regulated by the mga gene

The interaction between Streptococcus pyogenes and the host cell surface is not completely understood. Characterization of the adhesion mechanisms of the bacterium to the host cell surface is needed in order to develop new vaccines and anti-adhesion drugs. The presence of glycoprotein-binding activities among streptococcal strains was investigated. An activity binding to thyroglobulin, fetuin, asialofetuin and mucin but not non-glycosylated proteins was found to be present in the majority of the S. pyogenes strains studied. Cross-inhibition experiments suggested that the glycoproteins share a common structure recognized by the bacteria. The glycoprotein-binding activity was found to be proteinaceous, tightly attached to the bacterial surface and it also mediated the adherence of bacteria to solid surfaces coated with glycoproteins. The activity was found by transposon mutagenesis and complementation to be regulated by the multiple-gene regulator Mga, which has been implicated as a regulator of S. pyogenes virulence factors.