C-type lectin-like QuickView - Correlation Engine

Description:: A number of different families of proteins share a conserved domain which wasfirst characterized in some animal lectins and which seem to function as acalcium-dependent carbohydrate-recognition domain. This domain, which is known as the C-type lectin domain (CTL) or as the carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD), consists of about 110 to 130 residues. There are four cysteines which are perfectly conserved and involved in two disulfide bonds.There are proteins with modules similar in overall structure to CRDs that serve functions other than sugar binding. Therefore, a more general term C-type lectin-like domain was introduced to refer to such domains, although both terms C-type lectin and C-type lectin-like are sometimes used interchangeably.C-type lectins can be further divided into seven subgroups based on additional non-lectin domains and gene structure: (I) hyalectans, (II) asialoglycoprotein receptors, (III) collectins, (IV) selectins, (V) NK group transmembrane receptors, (VI) macrophage mannose receptors, and (VII) simple (single domain) lectins. Lectins are a diverse group of proteins, both in terms of structure and activity. Carbohydrate binding ability may have evolved independently and sporadically in numerous unrelated families, where each evolved a structure that was conserved to fulfil some other activity and function. In general, animal lectins act as recognition molecules within the immune system, their functions involving defence against pathogens, cell trafficking, immune regulation and the prevention of autoimmunity.