A group from Instituto de Química, Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México has reported about a novel family of lectins, named mytilectins, discovered in bivalve mollusks from view points of glycan binding properties and applications.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813025028909?via%3Dihub
Lectins have been evaluated as a probe molecule for tatrgeting tumore cells and also as a therapeutic agant from a medical view point. This paper is proposing to use lectins as a biocontrol agent against phytopathogenic fungi in an agricaltural field.
The antifungal and antioomycete activity of mitilectins against two true fungi and two oomycetes that impact economically in crops are shown in this paper. Mytilectins inhibited fully the growth of the fungi Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum, as well as the oomycetes Phytophthora capsici and Pythium aphanidermatum. Notably, it is remarkable that mytilectins demonstrated greater inhibition than the commercial antifungal control agent (CAPTAN).
