Lectins and the problem of phitopatogene recognition by a host plant [review]

• Published in: Žurnal obŝej biologii Vol. 69; no. 5; pp. 379 - 396
• Main Author: Babosha, A. V., Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). The N.V. Tsitsin Central Botanical Garden
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 01.09.2008
• Subjects: AGENT PATHOGENE; Animals; Bacteria - immunology; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Cell Wall - chemistry; Cell Wall - metabolism; ENFERMEDADES DE LAS PLANTAS; FEDERACION DE RUSIA; FEDERATION DE RUSSIE; Fungi - drug effects; GENETICA MOLECULAR; GENETIQUE MOLECULAIRE; HOST PARASITE RELATIONS; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_11620; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_24042; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_24881; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_25446; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_27577; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_33240; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5630; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5962; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_5993; Humans; LECTINAS; LECTINE; LECTINS; MALADIE DES PLANTES; MOLECULAR GENETICS; ORGANISMOS PATOGENOS; PATHOGENESE; PATHOGENESIS; PATHOGENS; PATOGENESIS; PLANT DISEASES; Plant Diseases - immunology; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant Lectins - chemistry; Plant Lectins - immunology; Plant Lectins - pharmacology; PLANT RESPONSE; Plant Viruses - immunology; PLANTE; PLANTS; Plants - immunology; RELACIONES HUESPED PARASITO; RELATION HOTE PARASITE; REPONSE DE LA PLANTE; RESPUESTA DE LA PLANTA; RUSSIAN FEDERATION; Selectins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0044-4596

Under consideration are some questions concerning participation of lectins in the plant pathogenesis, including their role in the recognition of microbes and elicitors, and as a protective agent limiting pathogenic growth and displacements. Classical lectins (CL) also probably play an important role in these processes along with lectin-like receptor kinases. The principal features of those CL are their relativly high concentration in the plant tissues, monosaccharide specificity, and limited number of the isolecin forms. Therefore, in supposing their participation in the biological recognition, it is needed to clarify how does a limited number of lectins with a limited number of carbohydrate groups can provide recognition of a potentially huge number of pathogens. This task can be fulfilled by recognition of carbohydrate residues peculiar to a particular microbe group by the CL. These recognition processes are similar to acivity of the animal inherited immune system responsible for a rapid primary protection even in animals with well developed antibody system. A mechanism widening the carbohydrate specificity of the carbohydrate-binding center includes interaction with hydrophobic substituents in a carbohydrate residue, as well as lectin modular organization allowing for regulation of lectin binding with oligo- and polysaccharides. The free lectins effect on the microbe growth in both plants and animals. Such an action may be inhibiting in pathogenesis, while in the case of symbiotic relations, the lectin can bear signal that readdresses metabolism of a future symbiont. So, lectins seem to serve as natural deciphering device for information contained in the carbohydrate polymers, and reading of this information is the main lectin function in a cell