Definition of Lectin
1. Noun. Any of several plant glycoproteins that act like specific antibodies but are not antibodies in that they are not evoked by an antigenic stimulus.
Definition of Lectin
1. Noun. (protein) Any of a class of plant proteins that bind specific carbohydrates. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Lectin
1. a protein that binds to a sugar molecule [n -S]
Medical Definition of Lectin
1.
Proteins obtained particularly from the seeds of leguminous plants, but also from many other plant and animal sources, that have binding sites for specific mono or oligosaccharides in cell walls or membranes. They thereby change the physiology of the membrane to cause agglutination, mitosis, or other biochemical changes in the cell.
Named originally for the ability of some to selectively agglutinate human red blood cells of particular blood groups. Lectins such as concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin are widely used as analytical and preparative agents in the study of glycoproteins.
(21 Jun 2000)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Lectin
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