Lectins: Multifaceted Molecules

Lectins belong to a class of carbohydrate binding proteins of immense importance as attested to by the voluminous literature. They are a group of proteins of nonimmune origin possessing at least one non-enzymatic domain that recognize and bind to carbohydrate moieties [1]. Lectins are detected in almost all forms of organisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, animals, and plants. They can agglutinate cells and precipitate glycoconjugates [2].