Editing Lectin (section)

===Animals===
Lectins have these functions in animals:
* The regulation of [[cell adhesion]]
* The regulation of [[glycoprotein]] synthesis
* The regulation of blood protein levels
* The binding of soluble extracellular and intercellular glycoproteins
* As a receptor on the surface of mammalian liver cells for the recognition of [[galactose]] residues, which results in removal of certain glycoproteins from the circulatory system
* As a receptor that recognizes hydrolytic enzymes containing [[mannose-6-phosphate]], and targets these proteins for delivery to the [[lysosome]]s; [[I-cell disease]] is one type of defect in this particular system.
* Lectins are known to play important roles in the innate [[immune system]]. Lectins such as the [[mannose-binding lectin]], help mediate the first-line defense against invading [[microorganisms]]. Other immune lectins play a role in self-nonself discrimination and they likely modulate inflammatory and autoreactive processes.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Maverakis E, Kim K, Shimoda M, Gershwin M, Patel F, Wilken R, Raychaudhuri S, Ruhaak LR, Lebrilla CB |title=Glycans in the immune system and The Altered Glycan Theory of Autoimmunity |journal=J Autoimmun |volume=57 |issue=6 |pages=1–13 |year=2015 |pmid=25578468 |pmc=4340844 |doi=10.1016/j.jaut.2014.12.002}}</ref> [[Intelectin]]s (X-type lectins) bind microbial glycans and may function in the innate immune system as well. Lectins may be involved in pattern recognition and pathogen elimination in the innate immunity of vertebrates including fishes.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.molimm.2013.06.020 |pmid=23911406 |title=Fish lily type lectin-1 contains β-prism architecture: Immunological characterization |journal=Molecular Immunology |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=497–506 |year=2013 |last1=Arasu |first1=Abirami |last2=Kumaresan |first2=Venkatesh |last3=Sathyamoorthi |first3=Akila |last4=Palanisamy |first4=Rajesh |last5=Prabha |first5=Nagaram |last6=Bhatt |first6=Prasanth |last7=Roy |first7=Arpita |last8=Thirumalai |first8=Muthukumaresan Kuppusamy |last9=Gnanam |first9=Annie J.|last10=Pasupuleti|first10=Mukesh |last11=Marimuthu |first11=Kasi |last12=Arockiaraj |first12=Jesu}}</ref>