Franz H
Staatliches Institut für Immunpräparate und Nährmedien, Berlin.
Naturwissenschaften. 1990 Mar;77(3):103-9. doi: 10.1007/BF01134469.
A hundred years of lectin research has led to the development of lectinology as an independent field of study. Although lectinology is in part related to immunology, fundamental differences exist. Lectins are important tools in biochemistry, histochemistry and clinical diagnosis. The essential in vivo function of lectins is to combine glycoconjugates. The function of lectins in microorganisms and in animals is partially known, whereas the function of lectins in plants is mostly unclear. Of special interest, now as before, are the toxic lectins of the ricin type consisting of an A-chain (N-glycosidase) and a B-chain (D-galactose-specific lectin).
百年的凝集素研究促使凝集素学发展成为一个独立的研究领域。尽管凝集素学部分与免疫学相关，但二者存在根本差异。凝集素是生物化学、组织化学和临床诊断中的重要工具。凝集素在体内的基本功能是结合糖缀合物。凝集素在微生物和动物中的功能部分已知，而其在植物中的功能大多尚不清楚。一如既往，特别令人感兴趣的是蓖麻毒素类型的毒性凝集素，它由A链（N-糖苷酶）和B链（D-半乳糖特异性凝集素）组成。
