Medical term:
Lectin
lectins
A group of proteins that bind firmly to specific small sugar (oligosaccharide) parts of glycoproteins and glycolipids. Most lectins in humans are cell membrane proteins with binding sites on the outside of the membranes, and are concerned in cell migration, tissue formation, fertilization, phagocytosis, agglutination, etc.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
lectin
[lek´tin]a term applied to hemagglutinating substances present in saline extracts of certain plant seeds, which specifically agglutinate erythrocytes of certain blood groups or stimulate lymphocyte proliferation.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
lec·tin
(lek'tin),Any of a group of glycoproteins of primarily plant (usually seed) origin that binds to glycoproteins on the surface of cells causing agglutination, precipitation, or other phenomena resembling the action of specific antibody; lectins include plant agglutinins (phytoagglutinins, phytohemagglutinins), plant precipitins, and perhaps certain animal proteins; some have mitogenic properties and induce lymphocyte transformation.
[L. lego, pp. lectum, to select, + -in]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
lectin
(lĕk′tĭn)n.
Any of various proteins or glycoproteins that bind to the sugar molecules of glycoproteins and glucolipids on the surfaces of cells and are found in most organisms, especially plants. They are used to stimulate lymphocyte proliferation and to agglutinate red blood cells.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
lec·tin
(lek'tin)A protein of primarily plant (usually seed) origin that binds to glycoproteins on the surface of cells causing agglutination, precipitation, or other phenomena resembling the action of specific antibody; lectins include plant agglutinins (phytoagglutinins, phytohemagglutinins), plant precipitins, and perhaps some animal proteins; some have mitogenic properties.
[L. lego, pp. lectum, to select, + -in]
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
lectin
one of a group of proteins that specifically bind or crosslink carbohydrates. Lectins are poisonous compounds often produced in plants and their seeds, for example ricin is produced by beans of the castor plant Ricinus communis, and has the potential to be used as an agent of BIOLOGICAL WARFARE. If present in high amount (more than a few parts per thousand) in the body, lectins can cause blood clotting and interfere with the IMMUNE SYSTEM. Absorbed into the bloodstream they may cause cancer.Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005
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