Legume lectin of view of protein structure. Despite the conserved structure of the legume lectin subunit, they can adopt a wide range of quaternary structures. The reason behind this remarkable variability is probably to be found in the interaction with multivalent ligands. Legume lectin The legume lectins (or L-type lectins) are a family of sugar-binding proteins or lectins found in the seeds and, in smaller amounts, in the roots, stems, leaves and bark of plants belonging to the Fabaceae family. The exact function of the legume lectins "in vivo" is unknown but they are probably involved in the defense of plants against
Keratin about 10 µm across, with cores and coating, and may be arranged in up to 10 layers, also in plaques of variable shape. Adult hornets also use silk as a glue, as do spiders. Some infectious fungi, such as those that cause athlete's foot and ringworm (i.e. the dermatophytes), or "Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis" (Chytrid fungus), feed on keratin. Diseases caused by mutations in the keratin genes include: Keratin expression is helpful in determining epithelial origin in anaplastic cancers. Tumors that express keratin include carcinomas, thymomas, sarcomas and trophoblastic neoplasms. Furthermore, the precise expression pattern of keratin subtypes allows prediction of the