Galectin-9 suppresses B cell receptor signaling and is regulated by I-branching of N-glycans

Leukocytes are coated with a layer of heterogeneous carbohydrates (glycans) that modulate immune function, in part by governing specific interactions with glycan-binding proteins (lectins). Although nearly all membrane proteins bear glycans, the identity and function of most of these sugars on leukocytes remain unexplored. Here, we characterize the N-glycan repertoire (N-glycome) of human tonsillar B cells. We observe that naive and memory B cells express an N-glycan repertoire conferring strong binding to the immunoregulatory lectin galectin-9 (Gal-9). Germinal center B cells, by contrast, show sharply diminished binding to Gal-9 due to upregulation of I-branched N-glycans, catalyzed by the β1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase GCNT2. Functionally, we find that Gal-9 is autologously produced by naive B cells, binds CD45, suppresses calcium signaling via a Lyn-CD22-SHP-1 dependent mechanism, and blunts B cell activation. Thus, our findings suggest Gal-9 intrinsically regulates B cell activation and may differentially modulate BCR signaling at steady state and within germinal centers

Siglec-mediated regulation of immune cell function in disease

All mammalian cells display a diverse array of glycan structures that differ from those found on microbial pathogens. Siglecs are a family of sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like receptors that participate in the discrimination of ‘self’ and ‘non-self’ and regulate the functions of cells in the innate and adaptive immune systems through recognition of their glycan ligands. In this review, we describe the recent advances in our understanding of the roles of Siglecs in the regulation of immune cell functions in infectious diseases, inflammation, neurodegeneration, autoimmune diseases and cancer