Functional aspects of fish mucosal lectins—interaction with non-self

Abstract

Mucosal surfaces are of key importance in protecting animals against external threats including pathogens. In the mucosal surfaces, host molecules interact with non-self to prevent infection and disease. Interestingly, both inhibition and stimulation of uptake hinder infection. In this review, the current knowledgebase on teleost mucosal lectins’ ability to interact with non-self is summarised with a focus on agglutination, growth inhibition, opsonisation, cell adhesion, and direct killing activities. Further research on lectins is essential, both to understand the immune system of fishes, since they rely more on the innate immune system than mammals, and also to explore these molecules’ antibiotic and antiparasitic activities against veterinary and human pathogens.