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. Galectin-9 is one of the most studied ligands for HAVCR2 (TIM-3) and is expressed on various tumor cells. However, it can also interact with other proteins (CLEC7A, CD137, CD40). For example, an interaction with CD40 on T-cells inhibits their proliferation and induces cell death. Galectin-9 also has important cytoplasmic, intracellular functions and controls AMPK in response to lysosomal damage that can occur upon exposure to endogenous and exogenous membrane damaging agents such as crystalline silica, cholesterol crystals, microbial toxins, proteopathic aggregates such as tau fibrils and amyloids, and signaling pathways inducing lysosomal permeabilization such as those initiated by TRAIL. Mild lysosomal damage, such as that caused by the anti-diabetes drug metformin may contribute to the therapeutic action of metformin by activating AMPK. The mechanism of how Galectin-9 activates AMPK involves recognition of exposed lysosomal lumenal glycoproteins such as LAMP1, LAMP2, SCRAB2, TMEM192, etc., repulsion of deubiquitinating enzyme USP9X, increased K63 ubiquitination of TAK1 (MAP3K7) kinase, which in turn phopshorylates AMPK and activates it. This signaling cascade directly links Galectin-9 intracellular function with ubiqutin systems. Galectin-9, through its regulation of AMPK, a kinase that negatively regulates mTOR, cooperates with Galectin-8-based effects to inactivate mTOR downstream of the lysosomal damaging agents and conditions.
Background References
1. Morishita A et al. Galectin-9 in Gastroenterological Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar
2. Yang R et al. Galectin-9 interacts with PD-1 and TIM-3 to regulate T cell death and is a target for cancer immunotherapy. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb
Western blot analysis of Galectin 9 on different lysates with Rabbit anti-Galectin 9 antibody (HA721821) at 1/1,000 dilution.
Lane 1: THP-1 cell lysate Lane 2: PC-3 cell lysate (low expression) Lane 3: PANC-1 cell lysate (low expression) Lane 4: HL-60 cell lysate Lane 5: A549 cell lysate Lane 6: Jurkat cell lysate Lane 7: RAW264.7 cell lysate
Lysates/proteins at 30 µg/Lane.
Predicted band size: 40 kDa Observed band size: 36 kDa
Exposure time: 2 minutes 7 seconds; ECL: K1801;
4-20% SDS-PAGE gel.
Proteins were transferred to a PVDF membrane and blocked with 5% NFDM/TBST for 1 hour at room temperature. The primary antibody (HA721821) at 1/1,000 dilution was used in 5% NFDM/TBST at 4℃ overnight. Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG - HRP Secondary Antibody (HA1001) at 1/50,000 dilution was used for 1 hour at room temperature.
Flow cytometric analysis of THP-1 cells labeling Galectin 9.
Cells were fixed and permeabilized. Then stained with the primary antibody (HA721821, 1/1,000) (red) compared with Rabbit IgG Isotype Control (green). After incubation of the primary antibody at +4℃ for an hour, the cells were stained with a iFluor™ 488 conjugate-Goat anti-Rabbit IgG Secondary antibody (HA1121) at 1/1,000 dilution for 30 minutes at +4℃. Unlabelled sample was used as a control (cells without incubation with primary antibody; black).
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