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Characteristics of lichen lectins and their role in symbiosis

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Abstract

Lectins are proteins or glycoproteins of non-immune origin which bind reversibly to carbohydrates that are exposed on cellular surfaces and mediate cellular recognition processes in a variety of biological interactions. Though initially discovered in plants, lectins from various sources including lichens, have been extensively studied by researchers all over the world. The symbiotic interaction between a fungus (mycobiont) and its photosynthetic partner (photobiont), usually an alga, constitutes a lichen. Some lichen lectins displays activity to human or animal erythrocytes. Although only a few lichen lectins have been examined to date, their characteristics suggest that they play an important role in the symbiotic interactions of this association. Lectin binding and the related enzymatic activity with respect to algal cell recognition illustrates a finely tuned mechanistic system which involved in the lichen symbiosis. This review provides an overview of the characteristics of lichen lectins and an insight into lectin-mediated symbiotic interactions and the galectin encoding genes. Future prospects for lichen lectin research in different areas are also highlighted.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank three anonymous reviewers for their very valuable comments and Professor D.H.S. Richardson for help with the English and grammar as well as editorial assistance with an early draft of the review.

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  1. Carbohydrate and Protein Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Punjabi University, Patiala, 147 002, Punjab, India

    Ram S. Singh & Amandeep K. Walia

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  1. Ram S. Singh
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Correspondence to Ram S. Singh.

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Singh, R.S., Walia, A.K. Characteristics of lichen lectins and their role in symbiosis. Symbiosis 62, 123–134 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-014-0278-y

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