Human Galectin-9 Antibody from BIOLEGEND

Galectins constitute a family of conserved animal lectins, which are characterized by their affinity for poly-N-acetyllactosamine-enriched glycoconjugates and sequence similarities in the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). In vertebrates, the Galectin family comprises 15 members. Galectins have been classified into three types: a) Prototype monomeric Galectins with a single polypeptide chain that dimerize (Galectin-1, -2, -5, -7, -10, -11, -13 -14, and -15); b) Tandem repeat galectins composed of a single polypeptide chain with two CRDs, joined by a linker peptide (Galectin-4, -6, -8, -9, and -12); and c) Chimeric galectin, thus far containing only Galectin-3, which consists of one C-terminal CRD linked to an N-terminal domain. Galectin-9 may be retained intracellularly or transported to the cell surface where it can be cleaved to generate a soluble form. Galectin-9 functions in effector and regulatory phases of the immune response. During inflammation, the production of Galectin-9 in vivo generates a microenvironment that limits effector T cell responses. Galectin-9 can negatively regulate the Th1 immune response by engaging TIM-3 on T cells, which leads to induction of intracellular Ca2+ influx and activation of apoptosis pathways. In addition, Galectin-9 has been shown to function as a urate transporter in the kidney. Galectin-9 has been identified as a possible prognostic marker in breast cancer, melanoma, and oral squamous cell carcinomas.