LGALS3
Description
The LGALS3 (galectin 3) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 14.
Galectin-3 is a protein encoded by the LGALS3 gene in humans. It belongs to the lectin family, with 14 mammalian galectins identified. Galectin-3 is approximately 30 kDa and contains a carbohydrate-recognition-binding domain (CRD) that enables specific binding of β-galactosides. It participates in cell-cell adhesion, cell-matrix interactions, macrophage activation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and apoptosis. The LGALS3 gene is located on chromosome 14, locus q21–q22. Galectin-3 is expressed in the nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, cell surface, and extracellular space. Galectin-3 has an affinity for beta-galactosides and exhibits antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. It is involved in cell adhesion, activation, chemoattraction, growth, differentiation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. Due to its broad biological functionality, galectin-3 is implicated in cancer, inflammation and fibrosis, heart disease, and stroke. Its expression is linked to various processes associated with heart failure, including myofibroblast proliferation, fibrogenesis, tissue repair, inflammation, and ventricular remodeling.
Galectin-3 is a galactose-specific lectin that binds IgE. It may mediate the stimulation of endothelial cell migration by CSPG4 through interaction with alpha-3, beta-1 integrin. In collaboration with DMBT1, it is essential for the terminal differentiation of columnar epithelial cells during early embryogenesis. Within the nucleus, it functions as a pre-mRNA splicing factor. Galectin-3 plays a role in acute inflammatory responses, including neutrophil activation and adhesion, chemoattraction of monocytes and macrophages, opsonization of apoptotic neutrophils, and activation of mast cells. Alongside TRIM16, it coordinates the recognition of membrane damage, mobilizing core autophagy regulators ATG16L1 and BECN1 in response to damaged endomembranes.
LGALS3 is also known as CBP35, GAL3, GALBP, GALIG, L31, LGALS2, MAC2.
