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<p><strong>Lectins</strong> are carbohydrate-binding proteins or glycoproteins which are highly specific for their sugar moieties.</p>
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lateral hemagglutinine</div>
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<h2><span class="mw-headline">Etymology</span></h2>
<p>Most of the lectins are basically non-enzymic in action and non-immune in origin. Lectins occur ubiquitously in nature. They may bind carbohydrate moiety as such free in solution or carbohydrate moiety which is a part of protein/particulate body. They agglutinate cells and/or precipitates glycoconjugates.</p>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="WIDTH: 182px"><img class="thumbimage" height="206" alt="An oligosaccharide (shown in grey) bound in the binding site of a plant lectin (Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin IV in complex with the Lewis b blood group determinant). Only a part of the oligosaccharide (central, in grey) is shown for clarity." width="180" border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/59/Gs4_sugar_all.png/180px-Gs4_sugar_all.png" width="180" border="0" />
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An oligosaccharide (shown in grey) bound in the binding site of a plant lectin (<em>Griffonia simplicifolia</em> isolectin IV in complex with the Lewis b blood group determinant). Only a part of the oligosaccharide (central, in grey) is shown for clarity.</div>
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