ABSTRACT
Protein-carbohydrate interactions (including lectin-lectin receptor interactions) occur in association with many biochemical processes. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that lectin-carbohydrate interactions are a common and important feature of molecular events underlying the immune response. Studies with lectins in the field of immunology will be considered under four categories: (1) lectins as polyclonal reagents to investigate the molecular basis of lymphocyte activation and proliferation and their control; (2) lectins as reagents to identify and/or fractionate cells of the immune system; (3) lectins as drugs; and (4) endogenous lectins as first-line agents of defence or as mediators of cellular communication within the immune system.
