<i>Xenopus</i> Galectin: Molecular Function and Evolution

Galectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that do not require metals, and are widely distributed in vertebrates. The basic specificity of galectins for β-galactosides is conserved in their carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs). Although galectins have been implicated in important biological functions, there is limited evidence that galectin-galactoside binding is directly linked to such functions. Extensive functional analysis of galectins in a large number of species is necessary to understand the broad range of evolutionarily conserved functions. Therefore, we focused on Xenopus galectins and identified and analyzed 12 species of Xenopus laevis galectins. The only non-mammalian vertebrate that has been comprehensively analyzed for galectins is the Xenopus laevis, which we use as a model for galectin research. In this review, we introduce the types of galectins and the functions of Xenopus galectins available to date.