ABSTRACT
Galectins (Gal) are a family of proteins characterized by a ~130 amino acid carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) with binding specifi city for β-galactosides [1]. The galectins are widely expressed in vertebrate tissues, and galectin family expansion with the evolution of multicellular eukaryotes is also accompanied by increases in complex N-glycan structural diversity [2,3]. Mammalian galectins are classifi ed into three groups: The single CRD group (Gal-1, -2, -5, -7, -10, -11, and -13), the tandem-repeat group (Gal -4, -6, -8, -9, and -12), and the chimeric group that includes only Gal-3 with a single CRD and a ~120 amino acid N-terminal proline-and glycine-rich domain with homology to collagen α1 [4].
