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Lectins have a role in recognition at the cellular and molecular level and play numerous roles in biological recognition phenomena involving cells, carbohydrates, and proteins. [1] [2] Lectins also mediate attachment and binding of bacteria, viruses, and fungi to their intended targets. Lectins are found in many foods.
Now, while lectins are often disparaged as “anti-nutrients” and may sound vaguely sinister if you say “lectins” slowly enough, they are actually natural substances found in about 30% of ...
A C-type lectin (CLEC) is a type of carbohydrate-binding protein known as a lectin. [3] The C-type designation is from their requirement for calcium for binding. [4] Proteins that contain C-type lectin domains have a diverse range of functions including cell-cell adhesion, immune response to pathogens and apoptosis.
A meta-analysis found no evidence that high doses of lecithin improved milk flow in breast-feeding mothers or infants, though concluded that "higher maternal choline intake was likely to be associated with better child neurocognition and neurodevelopment." [25] [20]
Lectins are a type of protein that binds to carbohydrates and resist being broken down in the gut, which can lead to digestion issues including stomach pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea, per Harvard.
Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA, or phytohemagglutinin) is a lectin found in plants, especially certain legumes. PHA actually consists of two closely related proteins, called leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) and PHA-E. These proteins cause blood cells to clump together. PHA-E cause erythrocytes (red blood cells) to clump.
The legume lectins are also interesting from the point of view of protein structure. Despite the conserved structure of the legume lectin subunit, they can adopt a wide range of quaternary structures. [4] [5] The reason behind this remarkable variability is probably to be found in the interaction with multivalent ligands. [6]
Concanavalin A (ConA) is a lectin (carbohydrate-binding protein) originally extracted from the jack-bean (Canavalia ensiformis).It is a member of the legume lectin family. It binds specifically to certain structures found in various sugars, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, mainly internal and nonreducing terminal α-D-mannosyl and α-D-glucosyl groups.