Description
Storage
Human Galectin-3/LGALS3 Recombinant Protein is supplied as lyophilized material that is very stable at -20°C. It is recommended to reconstitute with sterile water at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL which can be further diluted in aqueous solutions as needed. Addition of a carrier protein (0.1% HSA or BSA) is recommended for long-term storage. Once in solution, store at 4°C and use within 1 month, or store at -20ºC to -80ºC and use within 3 months to prevent loss of potency. Aliquot to avoid multiple freeze/thaw cycles if storing reconstituted material at -20ºC to -80ºC.
Source / Purification
Recombinant human Galectin-3/LGALS3 was expressed in and is supplied in a lyophilized form.
Background
Galectins are a family of β-galactose binding proteins that are characterized by an affinity for poly-N-acetyllactosamine-enriched glycoconjugates and a carbohydrate-binding site (1,2). Members of the galectin family have been implicated in a variety of biological functions, including cell adhesion (3), growth regulation (4), cytokine production (5), T cell apoptosis (6), and immune responses (7). Galectin-3/LGALS3 is involved in several diverse biological functions. Galectin-3/LGALS3 binds IgE (8). Galectin-3/LGALS3 is an unusual protein in that it can be found both extracellularly and intracellularly. Intracellularly, Galectin-3/LGALS3 can localize to the cytoplasm, nucleus, or both, depending on cell type and experimental conditions. Nuclear Galectin-3/LGALS3 has been identified as a pre-mRNA splicing factor (9). Galectin-3/LGALS3 production has been shown to increase during inflammation and in obesity, and the protein itself can have an inflammatory effect under certain conditions (10). Galectin-3/LGALS3 forms a complex with α3, β1 integrin to act as a surface receptor on endothelial cells for the NG2 proteoglycan, which triggers cell motility and angiogenesis (11). In addition to these functions, Galectin-3/LGALS3 is also a required factor for the terminal differentiation of epithelial cells (12).
