Selectin

Selectins are cell membrane glycoproteins which mediate cell-cell adhesion by recognizing carbohydrates presented on the cell surface. Selectins bind carbohydrate ligands in a Ca2+-dependent manner. They are expressed on platelets (P-selectins/CD62L), leukocytes (L-selectins/CD62P) and endothelial cells (E- and P-selectins/CD62E). Selectins belong to a group of adhesion molecules mediate adhesion of hematopoietic and cancer cells to endothelial cells, leukocytes, and platelets in flowing blood. These adhesion events play a crucial role in inflammation, infection, cancer, lymphocyte and bone marrow stem cell homing, and immune cell surveillance. Selectins also assist homing of aberrant leukocytes in chronic and acute inflammatory diseases.