engleski

Regulatory mechanism of galectin-3 expression

A vast majority of pathogens bind to their host through specific glycan-lectin recognitions. The function of immune response also relies on the interactions between carbohydrates and their binding proteins-lectins. Galectin-3, a β -galactoside binding lectin, is involved in many different biological processes, including growth regulation, cell differentiation, adhesion, neoplastic transformation, tumor metastasis and infection through specific interactions with a variety of intra- and extracellular proteins. Galectin-3 expression is influenced by various stimuli but the precise regulatory mechanisms are not yet elucidated. The results of our investigation showed that transcription factor AP-1 is involved in the regulation of basal levels of galectin-3, while in cell-stress condition it seems to be mediated by both NF-kB and AP-1 transcription factors. Additionally, immunomodulatory drugs, applied in therapeutic ranges on monocyte/macrophage cells, showed to affect both gene and protein expression level of galectin-3. Their effects depend on drug type, applied concentration, time of the exposure, differentiation and activation state of the cells. The provoked changes on protein level are qualitatively and quantitatively different comparing to the effects on galectin-3 mRNA level, demonstrating that the regulation of galectin-3 expression is a complex, fine-tuned mechanism that involves numerous transcription factors and signalling pathways. Our data revealed a part of the regulatory mechanisms of galectin-3 expression and disclose galectin-3 as a new target molecule of anti-inflammatory drugs, contributing to the better understanding of physiological role of galectin-3 and expanding the knowledge about the mechanisms of action of immunomodulatory drugs needed for development of new therapeutical procedures.

galectin-3; regulation; expression

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