Title:A Review of Fish Lectins
Volume: 16
Issue: 4
Author(s): Tzi Bun Ng, Randy Chi Fai Cheung, Charlene Cheuk Wing Ng, Evandro Fei Fang and Jack Ho Wong
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Fish, lectins, mucus, roe, serum.
Abstract: Lectins have been reported from various tissues of a diversity of fish species including
Japanese eel, conger eel, electric eel, bighead carp, gibel carp, grass carp, Arabian Gulf catfish, channel
catfish, blue catfish, catfish, pike perch, perch, powan, zebrafish, toxic moray, cobia fish, steelhead
trout, Japanese trout, Atlantic salmon, chinook salmon, olive rainbow smelt, rainbow smelt, whitespotted
charr, tilapia, blue gourami, ayu, Potca fish, Spanish mackerel, gilt head bream, tench, roach,
rudd, common skate, and sea lamprey. The tissues from which the lectins were isolated comprise gills,
eggs, electric organ, stomach, intestine, and liver. Lectins have also been isolated from skin, mucus serum, and plasma.
The lectins differ in molecular weight, number of subunits, glycosylation, sugar binding specificity and amino acid sequence.
Their activities include antimicrobial, antitumor, immunoregulatory and a role in development.