Glycans as a key factor in self and nonself discrimination: impact on the breach of immune tolerance

FEBS Letters

article

Inês Alves¹  Ângela Fernandes¹  Beatriz Santos-Pereira¹  Catarina M. Azevedo¹  Salomé S. Pinho¹ 

[1] i3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto;Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto;Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto;Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto

关键词: autoimmunity;    glycan mimicry;    glycan-binding proteins;    glycosylation;    immune tolerance;    pathogens;    self/nonself;   

DOI  :  10.1002/1873-3468.14347

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

Glycans are carbohydrates that are made by all organisms and covalently conjugated to other biomolecules. Glycans cover the surface of both human cells and pathogens and are fundamental to defining the identity of a cell or an organism, thereby contributing to discriminating self from nonself. As such, glycans are a class of ‘Self-Associated Molecular Patterns’ that can fine-tune host inflammatory processes. In fact, glycans can be sensed and recognized by a variety of glycan-binding proteins (GBP) expressed by immune cells, such as galectins, siglecs, and C-type lectins, which recognize changes in the cellular glycosylation, instructing both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. In this review, we introduce glycans as cell-identification structures, discussing how glycans modulate host–pathogen interactions and how they can fine-tune inflammatory processes associated with infection, inflammation and autoimmunity. Finally, from the clinical standpoint, we discuss how glycoscience research can benefit life sciences and clinical medicine by providing a source of valuable biomarkers and therapeutic targets for immunity.

【 授权许可】

Unknown