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Lectin Histochemistry: Historical Perspectives, State of the Art, and the Future

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Histochemistry of Single Molecules

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1560))

Abstract

Lectins, discovered more than 100 years ago and defined by their ability to selectively recognize specific carbohydrate structures, are ubiquitous in living organisms. Their precise functions are as yet under-explored and incompletely understood but they are clearly involved, through recognition of their binding partners, in a myriad of biological mechanisms involved in cell identity, adhesion, signaling, growth regulation, in health and disease. Understanding the complex “sugar code” represented by the glycome is a major challenge and at the forefront of current biological research. Lectins have been widely employed in histochemical studies to map glycosylation in cells and tissues. Here, a brief history of the discovery of lectins and early developments in their use is presented along with a selection of some of the most interesting and significant discoveries to emerge from use of lectin histochemistry. Further, an evaluation of the next generation of lectin-based technologies is presented, including the potential for designing recombinant lectins with more precisely defined binding characteristics, linking lectin-based studies with other technologies to answer fundamental questions in glycobiology, and approaches to exploring the interactions of lectins with their binding partners in more detail.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological & Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK

    Susan A. Brooks

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  1. Susan A. Brooks
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Correspondence to Susan A. Brooks .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Carlo Pellicciari

  2. Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Marco Biggiogera

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Brooks, S.A. (2017). Lectin Histochemistry: Historical Perspectives, State of the Art, and the Future. In: Pellicciari, C., Biggiogera, M. (eds) Histochemistry of Single Molecules. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1560. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6788-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6788-9_6

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-6787-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-6788-9

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