lectin

American  

[lek-tin] / ˈlɛk tɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of a group of proteins that bind to particular carbohydrates in the manner of an antibody and are commonly extracted from plants for use as an agglutinin, as in clumping red blood cells for blood typing.

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lectin British  

/ ˈlɛktɪn /

noun

1. a type of protein possessing high affinity for a specific sugar; lectins are often highly toxic

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Etymology

Origin of lectin

1954; < Latin lēct ( us ), past participle of legere to gather, select, read + -in ²

Example Sentences

They could also exchange the lectin portion to target other immunosuppressive glycans, or use antibodies that target checkpoint proteins such as PD-1.

From Science Daily • Dec. 23, 2025

The interaction between sugar and lectin can be described using a "lock and key" relationship, where the "key" is the sugar and the "lock" is the lectin.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2023

Kidney beans contain a protein called lectin that can lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea if they're consumed raw or undercooked.

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2022

When the sugar gets swallowed up by cells, lowering levels in the blood, the only remaining sweet for the lectin to attach to is the altered insulin’s sugar arm.

From New York Times • Nov. 13, 2014

Zion used nanoscale molecular engineering to create an insulin-lectin gel that could be injected without the need for an implanted pouch, while also rejiggering the lectin to make it less toxic.

From New York Times • Nov. 13, 2014