Visualization of galectin-3 oligomerization on the surface of neutrophils and endothelial cells using fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Galectin-3, a member of the galectin family of carbohydrate binding proteins, is widely expressed, particularly in cells involved in the immune response. Galectin-3 has also been indicated to play a role in various biological activities ranging from cell repression to cell activation and adhesion and has, thus, been recognized as an immunomodulator. Whereas those activities are likely to be associated with ligand cross-linking by this lectin, galectin-3, unlike other members of the galectin family, exists as a monomer. It has consequently been proposed that oligomerization of the N-terminal domains of galectin-3 molecules, after ligand binding by the C-terminal domain, is responsible for this cross-linking. The oligomerization status of galectin-3 could, thus, control the majority of its extracellular activities. However, little is known about the actual mode of action through which galectin-3 exerts its function. In this report we present data suggesting that oligomerization of galectin-3 molecules occurs on cell surfaces with physiological concentrations of the lectin. Using galectin-3 labeled at the C terminus with Alexa 488 or Alexa 555, the oligomerization between galectin-3 molecules on cell surfaces was detected using fluorescence resonance energy transfer. We observed this fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal in different biological settings representing the different modes of action of galectin-3 that we previously proposed; that is, ligand crosslinking leading to cell activation, cell-cell interaction/adhesion, and lattice formation. Furthermore, our data suggest that galectin-3 lattices are robust and could, thus, be involved, as previously proposed, in the restriction of receptor clustering.