title: Description of a monomeric prototype galectin from the lizard Podarcis hispanica.
abstract: Galectins are a continuously expanding family of beta-galactoside-binding lectins present in a variety of evolutionarily divergent animal species. Here we report, for the first time, that expression of galectins extends to the reptilia lineage of lizards. Up to five lactose-binding proteins were isolated from the lizard Podarcis hispanica by affinity chromatography on asialofetuin-Sepharose. The main component, which is most abundantly expressed in skin, was purified from this tissue and further characterized. Under native conditions the protein behaved as a monomer with a molecular mass of 14,500 Da and an isoelectric point of 6.3. Based on sequence homology of the 58 N-terminal amino acid residues with galectins, and on its demonstrated galactoside-binding activity, this lectin we named LG-14 (from Lizard Galectin and 14 kDa) is classified as a new member of the galectin family. LG-14 falls into and strengthen the still thinly populated category of monomeric prototype galectins.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 119, E-28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solís
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: López-Lucendo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Díaz-Mauriño
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D037161:Galectins; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008116:Lizards; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010802:Phylogeny; D011485:Protein Binding; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins; D006388:Hemagglutinins