Chapter title |
Lectin Histochemistry: Historical Perspectives, State of the Art, and the Future
|
---|---|
Chapter number | 6 |
Book title |
Histochemistry of Single Molecules
|
Published in |
Methods in molecular biology, February 2017
|
DOI | 10.1007/978-1-4939-6788-9_6 |
Pubmed ID | |
Book ISBNs |
978-1-4939-6787-2, 978-1-4939-6788-9
|
Authors |
Susan A. Brooks |
Editors |
Carlo Pellicciari, Marco Biggiogera |
Abstract |
Lectins, discovered more than 100 years ago and defined by their ability to selectively recognize specific carbohydrate structures, are ubiquitous in living organisms. Their precise functions are as yet under-explored and incompletely understood but they are clearly involved, through recognition of their binding partners, in a myriad of biological mechanisms involved in cell identity, adhesion, signaling, growth regulation, in health and disease. Understanding the complex "sugar code" represented by the glycome is a major challenge and at the forefront of current biological research. Lectins have been widely employed in histochemical studies to map glycosylation in cells and tissues. Here, a brief history of the discovery of lectins and early developments in their use is presented along with a selection of some of the most interesting and significant discoveries to emerge from use of lectin histochemistry. Further, an evaluation of the next generation of lectin-based technologies is presented, including the potential for designing recombinant lectins with more precisely defined binding characteristics, linking lectin-based studies with other technologies to answer fundamental questions in glycobiology, and approaches to exploring the interactions of lectins with their binding partners in more detail. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 15 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 4 | 27% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 3 | 20% |
Student > Bachelor | 2 | 13% |
Unknown | 6 | 40% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 4 | 27% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 2 | 13% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 1 | 7% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 1 | 7% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 1 | 7% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 6 | 40% |