Structure and Function of Plant Chitin-binding Lectins and Tomato Lectin

Abstract

Several types of lectin domains that specifically recognize chitin have been discovered in plants. One such domain, the hevein domain, also known as CBM18, contains eight cysteine and glycine residues at conserved positions in 40 amino acid residues. It works alone, arranged in tandem, or in combination with other domains. Tomato lectin is a chimeric lectin composed of four hevein domains and extensin-like domains similar to the plant cell wall glycoprotein extensin. It has been used for tissue staining and the fractionation of sugar chains owing to its specificity against poly-N-acetyllactosamine. In this minireview, the author summarizes the current literature on the chitin-binding lectins of plants and discuss the role of tomato lectin.