LGALS9

Galectin-9 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the LGALS9 gene.

The galectins are a family of beta-galactoside-binding proteins implicated in modulating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The protein encoded by this gene is an S-type lectin. This galectin is strongly overexpressed in Hodgkin's disease tissue and it might participate in the interaction between the H&RS cells with their surrounding cells and might thus play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease and/or its consistently associated immunodeficiency. The protein has N- and C- terminal carbohydrate-binding domains connected by a link peptide. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants have been found for this gene.