Unraveling the GM1 Specificity of Galectin-1 Binding to Lipid Membranes
ACS Bio & Med Chem Au, 5 (2025) 415–426 (DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.5c00040)
Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is a galactose-binding protein involved in various cellular functions. Gal-1’s activity has been suggested to be connected to two molecular concepts, which are, however, lacking experimental proof: a) enhanced binding affinity of Gal-1 toward membranes containing monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) over disialoganglioside GD1a and b) cross-linking of GM1’s by homodimers of Gal-1. Here, we provide evidence about the specificity and the nature of the interaction of Gal-1 with model membranes containing GM1 or GD1a, employing a broad panel of fluorescence-based and label-free experimental techniques, complemented by atomistic biomolecular simulations.