• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• 제41권1호
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2017

Panax ginseng Meyer, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae, is known for its human immune system-related effects, such as immune-boosting effects. Ginseng polysaccharides (GPs) are the responsible ingredient of ginseng in immunomodulation, and are classified as acidic and neutral GPs. Although GPs participate in various immune reactions including the stimulation of immune cells and production of cytokines, the precise function of GPs together with its potential receptor(s) and their signal transduction pathways have remained largely unknown. Animal lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar moieties. Among many different biological functions in vivo, animal lectins especially play important roles in the immune system by recognizing carbohydrates that are found exclusively on pathogens or that are inaccessible on host cells. This review summarizes the immunological activities of GPs and the diverse roles of animal lectins in the immune system, suggesting the possibility of animal lectins as the potential receptor candidates of GPs and giving insights into the development of GPs as therapeutic biomaterials for many immunological diseases.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.201-203
• /
• 1986

Forty species of marine shells were collected from Korean coasts and studied extensively for their lectin activities by using erythrocytes of human blooc A, AB, B. O group and rabbit blood. In total, 7 species contained lectines :Neptunea intersculpta, Omphalius nigerrimus and Scapharca subcrenata, blood group nonspecific; Saxidomus purpuratus, human blood A and AB group specific; Lepidozona coreana, Tegilarca granosa and Neptunea polycosta, rabbit blood specific.

• 한국어업기술학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국어업기술학회 2001년도 춘계 수산관련학회 공동학술대회발표요지집
• /
• pp.146-147
• /
• 2001

Lectins or carbohydrate-binding proteins are proteins of non-immune origin, which is able to agglutinate cells, and precipitate polysaccharides and glycoconjugates (Goldstein et al., 1980). Lectins with diverse physiological roles are widely distributed to the various plant, microorganisms, invertebrates and vertebrates. The ubiquitous occurrence of lectins in nature and their ability to recognize complementary sugars provided a stimulus for the continuous research for their biochemical properties and physiological functions (Raz and Lotan, 1987). (omitted)

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제38권2호
• /
• pp.128-150
• /
• 2005

Invertebrate animals, which lack adaptive immune systems, have developed other systems of biological host defense, so called innate immunity, that respond to common antigens on the cell surfaces of potential pathogens. During the past two decades, the molecular structures and functions of various defense components that participated in innate immune systems have been established in Arthropoda, such as, insects, the horseshoe crab, freshwater crayfish, and the protochordata ascidian. These defense molecules include phenoloxidases, clotting factors, complement factors, lectins, protease inhibitors, antimicrobial peptides, Toll receptors, and other humoral factors found mainly in hemolymph plasma and hemocytes. These components, which together compose the innate immune system, defend invertebrate from invading bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. This review describes the present status of our knowledge concerning such defensive molecules in invertebrates.

• 생명과학회지
• /
• 제23권3호
• /
• pp.347-354
• /
• 2013

선천성 면역은 감염성 매개체를 자기(self)로부터 변별할 수 있다. 선천성 면역은 감염 초기에 숙주인 자기를 보호하는 인식분자와 효과인자들로 구성되어 있다. Mannose 결합 렉틴(Mannose-binding lectin, MBL)은 $Ca^{2+}$ 의존형 렉틴에 속하며, 콜라겐 유사 domain을 함유하는 C-type 렉틴으로 선천성 면역의 중요한 분자이다. 혈액내 낮은 MBL 농도는 면역결핍 증후군을 나타내며 감염에 대한 심각한 위험성을 초래한다. 사람의 MBL 결핍증은 coding 영역의 돌연변이에 의해 나타나며, 이 돌연변이의 영향을 연구하기 위해 쥐의 상동성 유전자인 MBL-A를 이용하고 있다. 돌연변이 MBL의 기능적, 세포 생리적 연구를 위해 선행연구에서 rat wild type MBL-A 유전자를 클로닝하였으며, 본 연구에서 이 유전자에 콜라겐 유사 domain에서 발견된 세 가지 돌연변이, R40C, G42D, G45E를 site-directed mutagenesis 방법으로 모두 도입하였다. 세 가지 돌연변이가 존재하는 MBL 단백질은 정상 MBL과 마찬가지로 세포 내에서 정상적으로 발현되었으며, 여전히 렉틴 기능을 가지고 있었다. 이는 세 가지 돌연변이가 렉틴 기능을 나타내는 C-말단 쪽의 carbohydrate recognition domain에는 구조적으로, 또한 기능적으로도 영향을 미치지 않는다는 결과이다. 그러나 이 돌연변이는 MBL 단백질이 세포 밖으로 분비되는 것을 방해하였으며, 그 결과로 소포체 내에 잔류하여 소포체 망상구조(endoplasmic reticulumn network)에 커다란 손상을 주며 비정상적인 형체를 초래하였다. 이 같은 결과는 돌연변이 MBL에 의해 나타난 세포 내 병리현상의 새로운 발견으로 향후 MBL의 구조 형성과 분비 연구에 기여를 할 것으로 생각된다.

• 대한수의학회지
• /
• 제54권4호
• /
• pp.209-218
• /
• 2014

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of human multiple sclerosis (MS), reflects pathophysiologic steps in MS such as the influence of T cells and antibodies reactive to the myelin sheath, and the cytotoxic effect of cytokines. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a member of animal lectins that plays an essential role in various biological functions. The expression of Gal-9 is significantly enhanced in MS lesions; however, its role in autoimmune disease has not been fully elucidated. To identify the role of Gal-9 in EAE, we measured changes in mRNA and protein expression of Gal-9 as EAE progressed. Expression increased with disease progression, with a sharp rise occurring at its peak. Gal-9 immunoreactivity was mainly expressed in astrocytes and microglia of the central nervous system (CNS) and macrophages of spleen. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that $Gal-9^+CD11b^+$ cells were dramatically increased in the spleen at the peak of disease. Increased expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-R1 and p-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was observed in the CNS of EAE mice, suggesting that TNF-R1 and p-JNK might be key regulators contributing to the expression of Gal-9 during EAE. These results suggest that identification of the relationship between Gal-9 and EAE progression is critical for better understanding Gal-9 biology in autoimmune disease.