Final Activity Report Summary - FUNCLER (Functional characterisation of NK and DC lectin receptors)
As result of this action the study of 4 lectins was initiated (DCIR, CLECSF8, MINCLE and DLEC) but later on was focused on DCIR. No pathogens or pathogenic products were found to bind to DCIR. Also no carbohydrate structures were found to bind DCIR. Concerning cell ligands, DCIR was found to bind monocytes suggesting the presence of a ligand for DCIR on these cells. Cell lines from different origin containing terminal galactose glycans on their surface also showed binding to DCIR. On the other hand monocytes lose the binding to DCIR very quickly when they differentiate to dendritic cells, in correlation to a lower expression of terminal galactose glycans in their surface. These data suggests a binding specificity of DCIR for terminal galactose glycans.