Full-length model of the human galectin-4 and insights into dynamics of inter-domain communication.
Rustiguel, J.K., Soares, R.O., Meisburger, S.P., Davis, K.M., Malzbender, K.L., Ando, N., Dias-Baruffi, M., Nonato, M.C.(2016) Sci Rep 6: 33633-33633
- PubMed: 27642006 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep33633
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
4XZP - PubMed Abstract: 
Galectins are proteins involved in diverse cellular contexts due to their capacity to decipher and respond to the information encoded by β-galactoside sugars. In particular, human galectin-4, normally expressed in the healthy gastrointestinal tract, displays differential expression in cancerous tissues and is considered a potential drug target for liver and lung cancer. Galectin-4 is a tandem-repeat galectin characterized by two carbohydrate recognition domains connected by a linker-peptide. Despite their relevance to cell function and pathogenesis, structural characterization of full-length tandem-repeat galectins has remained elusive. Here, we investigate galectin-4 using X-ray crystallography, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, molecular modelling, molecular dynamics simulations, and differential scanning fluorimetry assays and describe for the first time a structural model for human galectin-4. Our results provide insight into the structural role of the linker-peptide and shed light on the dynamic characteristics of the mechanism of carbohydrate recognition among tandem-repeat galectins.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil.