Details for: LGALS16

Gene ID: 148003

Gene Type:  Protein-coding  - A gene that serves as a template for producing a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which is then translated into a functional protein.

Symbol: LGALS16

Ensembl ID: ENSG00000249861

Description: galectin 16

Selected Context(s):  Overall

Cell Significance Landscape

Contexts:

Associated with

Significant Cells

Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores for the chosen context(s)

  • placental villous trophoblast CL2000060
    CSI 2.18
    rCSI 3.37%
    PRS 98.04
  • syncytiotrophoblast cell CL0000525
    CSI 1.53
    rCSI 4.42%
    PRS 97.46

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this specific cell.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.
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Other Information

This section provides additional information about the gene, including a description generated by an AI language model and details about associated proteins.

## Summary [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) (Galectin-16) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 19q13.2 that encodes a member of the galectin family of carbohydrate-binding proteins. Functionally, [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) is implicated in the regulation of apoptosis, particularly in the induction of T cell death. Expression data reveals a highly specific localization to placental tissues, with significant expression in [placental villous trophoblast](/details-cell/CL2000060) and [syncytiotrophoblast cell](/details-cell/CL0000525). This restricted expression pattern, combined with its pro-apoptotic function, suggests a critical role for [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) in establishing and maintaining immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy [Link](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903568106). ## Cellular Roles and Expression Landscape The expression profile of [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) is characterized by its remarkable specificity for placental cell types. **Overall**, the gene shows its most significant expression in cells that constitute the maternal-fetal barrier, including [placental villous trophoblast](/details-cell/CL2000060) (CSI: 2.18) and [syncytiotrophoblast cell](/details-cell/CL0000525) (CSI: 1.53). These trophoblastic cells are essential for implantation and placentation, and they directly interact with the maternal immune system. The high significance of [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) in these cells strongly suggests that it is a key molecular player in mediating the unique immunological environment required for a successful pregnancy, likely by preventing maternal immune cell-mediated rejection of the semi-allogeneic fetus. ## Pathways and Molecular Function The function of Galectin-16 is rooted in its molecular ability to bind carbohydrates ([GO:0030246](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0030246)), such as lactose ([GO:0030395](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0030395)). This lectin activity is the basis for its role in biological processes, most notably the regulation of apoptosis ([GO:0006915](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0006915)). Specifically, [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) is annotated for its involvement in the positive regulation of T cell apoptotic process ([GO:0070234](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0070234)). This indicates that by binding to specific glycans on the surface of T cells, Galectin-16 can trigger a signaling cascade that leads to programmed cell death. This function is highly consistent with its expression by trophoblasts at the maternal-fetal interface, where it may serve to eliminate potentially reactive maternal T cells, thereby promoting local immune suppression [Link](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903568106). ## Research Directions The highly specific expression and immunomodulatory function of [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) suggest that its dysregulation could be implicated in pregnancy-related pathologies characterized by a breakdown in maternal-fetal tolerance, such as pre-eclampsia or recurrent spontaneous abortion. **Proposed Hypotheses:** 1. Downregulation of [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) expression in trophoblasts compromises their ability to induce apoptosis in activated maternal T cells, leading to local inflammation and contributing to the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia. 2. Genetic polymorphisms in the [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) gene or its regulatory regions are associated with an increased risk of recurrent pregnancy loss due to impaired immune tolerance at the implantation site. **Suggested Experimental Approach:** To test the hypothesis that [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) is critical for maintaining immune tolerance, an *in vitro* co-culture model could be employed. Trophoblast-like cell lines (e.g., BeWo or HTR-8/SVneo) would be genetically modified using CRISPR-Cas9 to create a stable knockout of [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003). These knockout cells, alongside isogenic wild-type controls, would be co-cultured with activated human T cells isolated from peripheral blood. The primary endpoints would be the rate of T cell apoptosis, measured by Annexin V and propidium iodide staining via flow cytometry, and the pro-inflammatory cytokine profile (e.g., IFN-γ, TNF-α) in the culture supernatant, measured by ELISA or multiplex bead array. A significant reduction in T cell apoptosis and an increase in inflammatory cytokines in the presence of knockout trophoblasts would provide direct evidence for the gene's role in feto-maternal tolerance. **Therapeutic Potential:** Given its role in promoting a healthy physiological state (immune tolerance in pregnancy), [LGALS16](/details-gene/148003) is more likely a candidate for therapeutic **activation** or supplementation rather than inhibition. For pregnancy complications associated with maternal immune system over-activation, a recombinant form of Galectin-16 or a small molecule agonist could potentially be developed as a targeted therapy to restore local immune suppression at the placental interface. Its high tissue specificity suggests that such a therapy could have a favorable safety profile with minimal systemic immunosuppressive effects.

Genular Protein ID: 1539964958

Symbol: LEG16_HUMAN

Name: N/A

UniProtKB Accession Codes:

A8MUM7 C5HZ26

Database IDs:

AGR 1 AlphaFoldDB 1 Bgee 1 BioGRID-ORCS 1 BioMuta 1 CCDS 1 CDD 1 CTD 1 DNASU 1 DisGeNET 1 EMBL 3 Ensembl 1 ExpressionAtlas 1 GO 4 Gene3D 1 GeneCards 1 GeneTree 1 GenomeRNAi 1 HGNC 1 HOGENOM 1 HPA 1 InParanoid 1 InterPro 3 KEGG 1 MANE-Select 1 MassIVE 1 NCBI Taxonomy 1 OMA 1 OpenTargets 1 OrthoDB 1 PANTHER 2 PDB 3 PDBsum 3 PRO 1 PROSITE 1 PathwayCommons 1 PaxDb 1 PeptideAtlas 1 Pfam 1 Pharos 1 PhylomeDB 1 Proteomes 1 RNAct 1 RefSeq 1 SMART 2 SMR 1 STRING 1 SUPFAM 1 TreeFam 1 UCSC 1 UniLectin 1 VEuPathDB 1 eggNOG 1 neXtProt 1

Citations:

PubMed ID: 19497882

Title: A primate subfamily of galectins expressed at the maternal-fetal interface that promote immune cell death.

PubMed ID: 19497882

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0903568106

PubMed ID: 15057824

Title: The DNA sequence and biology of human chromosome 19.

PubMed ID: 15057824

DOI: 10.1038/nature02399

Sequence Information:

  • Length: 142
  • Mass: 16600
  • Checksum: 65D0A23A252530D4
  • Sequence:
    • MSFLTVPYKL PVSLSVGSCV IIKGTLIDSS INEPQLQVDF YTEMNEDSEI AFHLRVHLGR 
RVVMNSREFG IWMLEENLHY VPFEDGKPFD LRIYVCHNEY EVKVNGEYIY AFVHRIPPSY 
VKMIQVWRDV SLDSVLVNNG RR