Animal Lectins: Form, Function and Clinical Applications presents up-to-date knowledge of animal lectins. Detailed descriptions on biological activities, tissue and/or subcellular distribution, molecular structure, gene organization, possible functions, clinical applications, lectin-ligand interactions and their intervention for therapeutic purposes are provided. The recently discovered C-type lectins as well as further novel super-families of this group of molecules are described in detail. Furthermore, the clinical significance of animal lectins in inflammatory diseases, defects of immune defense and autoimmunity are described and their application as drugs and therapeutic targets is discussed. With the increasing interest in lectins in biomedical research and their therapeutic applications, this book on animal lectins and associated proteins is a must have for researchers in the area.

Introduces Groundbreaking Approaches for Assessing Lectin Function Lectins and their ligands are under quite a heavy microscope due to their potential applications to pharmacology, immunology, cancer therapy, and agriculture. With growing interest in the glycobiology field, the body of research related to lectin roles has grown at an explosive rate

This text embraces all animal sources from unicellular protozoa and slime moulds through to invertebrates to mammals and birds. It introduces animal lectins on both a phylogeneric and structural basis and outlines their biomedical applications.

Animal Lectins: Form, Function and Clinical Applications presents up-to-date knowledge of animal lectins. Detailed descriptions on biological activities, tissue and/or subcellular distribution, molecular structure, gene organization, possible functions, clinical applications, lectin-ligand interactions and their intervention for therapeutic purposes are provided. The recently discovered C-type lectins as well as further novel super-families of this group of molecules are described in detail. Furthermore, the clinical significance of animal lectins in inflammatory diseases, defects of immune defense and autoimmunity are described and their application as drugs and therapeutic targets is discussed. With the increasing interest in lectins in biomedical research and their therapeutic applications, this book on animal lectins and associated proteins is a must have for researchers in the area.

This volume surveys the chemistry, biochemistry, biosynthesis, metabolism and pharmacological properties of lectins. Lectins, which are most commonly found in plants, are widespread natural products with striking biological activities. Their specific ability to recognise and bind to simple or complex saccharides facilitates their role as effective information protein molecules. As agents of cell-to-cell recognition, lectins promote symbiosis between plants and specific nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria. As natural defensive molecules, they can protect plants against predators such as bacteria, fungi and insects. As part of our diet, lectins are powerful exogenous growth factors in the small intestine and influence our health, the digestive function and the bacterial ecology of the alimentary tract. Lectins are also important research tools in preparative biochemistry and cell science.

Sugar chains (glycans) are often attached to proteins and lipids and have multiple roles in the organization and function of all organisms. "Essentials of Glycobiology" describes their biogenesis and function and offers a useful gateway to the understanding of glycans.