Current State of Plant Lectinology

Lectins are a group of proteins that are widespread in all kingdoms of living nature, but plants are the undisputed “champions” in terms of the abundance and diversity of lectins. The fundamental property of reversibly binding to specific carbohydrates makes lectins important participants in the “glycocode” system, which has a special functional significance for plants with their incredible carbohydrate diversity. The structural diversity of lectins underlies their numerous functions, including signaling associated with growth and development as well as plant responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli. The review presents a retrospective of the development of plant lectinology and last data about the classification of plant lectins, their localization, and known and potential functions.