Journal
GLYCOCONJUGATE JOURNAL
Volume 19, Issue 7-9, Pages 607-614Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1023/B:GLYC.0000014092.86763.2f
Keywords
galectin; innate immunity; development; Drosophila melanogaster; Anopheles gambiae
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Funding
- NIGMS NIH HHS [GM63281] Funding Source: Medline
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES [R01GM063281] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
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As evidenced by the reviews in this special issue of Glycoconjugate Journal, much research is focused on determining functions for mammalian galectins. However, the identification of precise functions for mammalian galectins may be complicated by redundancy in tissue expression and in target cell recognition of the many mammalian galectins. Therefore, lower organisms may be useful in deciphering precise functions for galectins. Unfortunately, some genetically manipulable model systems such as Caenorhabditis elegans may have more galectins than mammals. Recently, galectins were identified in two well-studied insect systems, Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae. In addition to the powerful genetic manipulation available in these insect models, there is a sophisticated understanding of many biological processes in these organisms that can be directly compared and applied to mammalian systems. Understanding the roles of galectins in insects may provide insight into precise functions of galectins in mammals.
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