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Publication Abstract from PubMed

Innate immunity is the first line of defense against pathogens and predators. To initiate a response, it relies on the detection of invaders, where lectin-carbohydrate interactions play a major role. O-Methylated glycans were previously identified as non-self epitopes and conserved targets for defense effector proteins belonging to the tectonin superfamily. Here, we present two crystal structures of Tectonin 2 from the mushroom Laccaria bicolor in complex with methylated ligands, unraveling the molecular basis for this original specificity. Furthermore, they revealed the formation of a ball-shaped tetramer with 24 binding sites distributed at its surface, resembling a small virus capsid. Based on the crystal structures, a methylation recognition motif was identified and found in the sequence of many tectonins from bacteria to human. Our results support a key role of tectonins in innate defense based on a distinctive and conserved type of lectin-glycan interaction.

Crystal Structures of Fungal Tectonin in Complex with O-Methylated Glycans Suggest Key Role in Innate Immune Defense.,Sommer R, Makshakova ON, Wohlschlager T, Hutin S, Marsh M, Titz A, Kunzler M, Varrot A Structure. 2018 Mar 6;26(3):391-402.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2018.01.003. Epub 2018, Feb 1. PMID:29398527^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.