Handbook of Animal Lectins

The sugar--binding protein of non--immune origin that agglutinates or precipitates glycoconjugates, or lectins, can be found in animal, plant, and bacterial cells. Animal lectins may have important medical implications and the interest in animal lectins is fast increasing, as is the number of researchers on this subject.

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This comprehensive yet concise guide to animal lectins,
covers all sources from unicellular protozoa and slime
moulds through invertebrates to mammals and birds, and
provides essential information to the widest possible
readership.

The last few years have seen an explosion of interest and
research in animal lectins, and this book, which is divided
into two parts, provides a compendium of galectins,
collectins, selectins, pentraxins and other
carbohydrate-binding proteins from throughout the animal
kingdom. The first part introduces animal lectins on both
phylogenetic and structural bases and outlines their key
biomedical applications. The second, and major part, is a
quick reference alphabetical directory listing around 170
lectins. Each lectin entry provides, where known, details
of its:

Isolation
Structure
Biological activities
Tissue and/or subcellular distribution
Possible functions
Applications

A bibliography for each lectin is also included and useful
appendices list lectins according to their sugar specificity,
characterised lectins of human origin by tissue source and
commercial suppliers of animal lectins.

This superb book is aimed at basic scientists and clinicians
alike, and will be invaluable to both established research
workers and newcomers to this area. It will be of
particular interest to biochemists, cell biologists,
immunologists, oncologists, pharmacologists, medical
practitioners and students of medical and biological
sciences.