Lectins, a group of proteins that bind to cell surface carbohydrates and play important roles in innate immunity, are widely used experimentally to distinguish cell types and to induce cell proliferation. Eel serum lectins have been useful as anti-H hemagglutinins and also in lectin histochemistry as fucose-binding lectins (fucolectins). The fucose-binding lectins are secretory proteins and have … expand

Lectins, a group of proteins that bind to cell surface carbohydrates and play important roles in innate immunity, are widely used experimentally to distinguish cell types and to induce cell proliferation. Eel serum lectins have been useful as anti-H hemagglutinins and also in lectin histochemistry as fucose-binding lectins (fucolectins). The fucose-binding lectins are secretory proteins and have unique structures among the lectins, exhibiting only weak similarities to frog pentraxin, horseshoe crab tachylectin-4, and fly fw protein [ PUBMED:10924498 ].

This entry represents a domain identified in all the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) fucolectins. It can also be found in the N terminus of at least one frog pentraxin ( P49263 ).