Role of Glycan-Lectin Interaction in Diseases: A Review

The glycans are carbohydrate present with other macromolecules where it could act as ligand for glycan-binding protein called lectin. This glycan-lectin interaction plays important role in cell and organ functioning and immune regulation in both animals and humans. Glycan-lectin interaction is also utilized in viral pathogen interaction which is encoded through host genome or own genome replication and enhancement of infection. Current advancement in glycobiology investigations had revealed interaction between glycan and lectins mediating prominent interaction between host and virus which regulates spread of virus and activation of immune system. Carbohydrates are also found to be involved in viability and growth of cells. Glycosylation process occurs in the cells for regulated processing of secondary protein in the cells, it had an integral functioning in multiple processes ultimately to apoptosis. Glycan with glycan binding protein or solely could convey intracellular signals or extracellular signal control process which leads to initiation, execution of apoptosis program. Glycans and its binding proteins are important cell death machinery, glycan-lectin interactions could alter the spread of viral infections either profitable for virus or host. The interaction of glycan-lectin could be useful as can be used as a diagnostic or prognostic tool in tumor because it had ability of controlling cell apoptosis or cell functioning. This interaction also play prominent role in ocular infection associated pathogenesis and its immune response. The viral disease recently known had been spread in entire world cause due to coronavirus this interaction provide help in forming antiviral agents and gave various thoughts in field of vaccination for this virus. Therefore, all these findings reveled that glycan-lectin interactions are advantageous for various disease and also multiple process of our body.