Description
Galectins are a family of animal lectins with an affinity for beta-galactosides. This family has at least 14 identified members. Galectins share similarities in the CRD (the carbohydrate recognition domain). Galectins are synthesized as cytosolic proteins. Though localized principally in the cytoplasm and lacking a classical signal peptide, galectins can also be stimulated to secretion by non-classical pathways or alternatively targeted to the nucleus. Galectins are involved in modulating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Galectin-13 is a member of the human placenta specific galectins. Like all members of the galectin family, it contains a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) as well. Increased blood concentration was found highly asscoaited with preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome in pregnant women. The molecular weight of Galectin-13 is 16kDa. Human recombinant Galectin-13 produced in E. coli is a single, non-glycosylated polypeptide with a molecular mass of 16 kDa. It might also appear as a homodimer, having a total MW of 32 kDa. It has been purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques