Galectin-3, the only chimera galectin found in vertebrates, is one of the best-studied galectins. It is expressed in several cell types and is involved in a broad range of physiological and pathological processes, such as cell adhesion, cell activation and chemoattraction, cell cycle, apoptosis and cell growth and differentiation. However, this molecule raises special interest due to its role in regulating cancer cell activities. Galectin-3 has high affinity for beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine branched glycans, which are formed by the action of the beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (Mgat5). Mgat5-related changes in protein/lipid glycosylation on cell surface lead to alterations in the clustering of membrane proteins through lattice formation, resulting in functional advantages for tumor cells. Galectin-3 presence enhances migration and/or invasion of many tumors. Galectin-3-dependent clustering of integrins promotes ligand-induced integrin activation, leading to cell motility. Galectin-3 binding to mucin-1 increases transendothelial invasion, decreasing metastasis-free survival in an experimental metastasis model. Galectin-3 also affects endothelial cell behavior by regulating capillary tube formation. This lectin is found in the tumor stroma, suggesting a role for microenvironmental galectin-3 in tumor progression. Galectin-3 also seems to be involved in the recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages, possibly contributing to angiogenesis and tumor growth. This lectin can be a relevant factor in turning bone marrow in a sanctuary for leukemia cells, favoring resistance to therapy. Finally, galectin-3 seems to play a relevant role in orchestrating distinct cell events in tumor microenvironment and for this reason, it can be considered a target in tumor therapies. In conclusion, this review aims to describe the processes of tumor progression and metastasis involving extracellular galectin-3 and its expression and regulation.

Heparin is an excellent inhibitor of P- and L-selectin binding to the carbohydrate determinant, sialyl Lewis(x). As a consequence of its anti-selectin activity, heparin attenuates metastasis and inflammation. Here we show that fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FucCS), a polysaccharide isolated from sea cucumber composed of a chondroitin sulfate backbone substituted at the 3-position of the beta-D-glucuronic acid residues with 2,4-disulfated alpha-L-fucopyranosyl branches, is a potent inhibitor of P- and L-selectin binding to immobilized sialyl Lewis(x) and LS180 carcinoma cell attachment to immobilized P- and L-selectins. Inhibition occurs in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, FucCS was 4-8-fold more potent than heparin in the inhibition of the P- and L-selectin-sialyl Lewis(x) interactions. No inhibition of E-selectin was observed. FucCS also inhibited lung colonization by adenocarcinoma MC-38 cells in an experimental metastasis model in mice, as well as neutrophil recruitment in two models of inflammation (thioglycollate-induced peritonitis and lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation). Inhibition occurred at a dose that produces no significant change in plasma activated partial thromboplastin time. Removal of the sulfated fucose branches on the FucCS abolished the inhibitory effect in vitro and in vivo. Overall, the results suggest that invertebrate FucCS may be a potential alternative to heparin for blocking metastasis and inflammatory reactions without the undesirable side effects of anticoagulant heparin.

Dermatan sulfates with the same backbone structure [4-α-l-IdceA-1→3-β-d-GalNAc-1]_nbut with different patterns of sulfation substitutions have been isolated from the ascidian body. All the ascidian dermatan sulfates have a high content of 2-O-sulfated α-l-iduronic acid residues but differ in the pattern of sulfation of the N-acetyl-β-d-galactosamine units. Styela plicata and Halocynthia pyriformis have 4-O-sulfated units, but inAscidian nigra they are 6-O-sulfated. This collection of ascidian dermatan sulfates (together with native and oversulfated mammalian dermatan sulfate), where the extent and position of sulfate substitution have been fully characterized, were tested in anticoagulant assays. Dermatan sulfate from A. nigra has no discernible anticoagulant activity, which indicates that 4-O-sulfation of theN-acetyl-β-d-galactosamine is essential for the anticoagulant activity of this glycosaminoglycan. In contrast dermatan sulfates from S. plicata and H. pyriformis are potent anticoagulants due to potentiation of thrombin inhibition by heparin cofactor II. These ascidian dermatan sulfates have ∼10-fold and ∼6-fold higher activity with heparin cofactor II than native and an oversulfated mammalian dermatan sulfate, respectively. They have no effect on thrombin or factor Xa inhibition by antithrombin. These naturally oversulfated ascidian dermatan sulfates are sulfated at selected sites required for interaction with heparin cofactor II and thus have specific and potent anticoagulant activity.

A linear sulfated fucan with a regular repeating sequence of [3)-α-L-Fucp-(2SO₄)-(1→3)-α-L-Fucp-(4SO₄)-(1→3)-α-L-Fucp-(2,4SO₄)-(1→3)-α-L-Fucp-(2SO₄)-(1→]_n is an anticoagulant polysaccharide mainly due to thrombin inhibition mediated by heparin cofactor II. No specific enzymatic or chemical method is available for the preparation of tailored oligosaccharides from sulfated fucans. We employ an apparently nonspecific approach to cleave this polysaccharide based on mild hydrolysis with acid. Surprisingly, the linear sulfated fucan was cleaved by mild acid hydrolysis on an ordered sequence. Initially a 2-sulfate ester of the first fucose unit is selectively removed. Thereafter the glycosidic linkage between the nonsulfated fucose residue and the subsequent 4-sulfated residue is preferentially cleaved by acid hydrolysis, forming oligosaccharides with well-defined size. The low-molecular-weight derivatives obtained from the sulfated fucan were employed to determine the requirement for interaction of this polysaccharide with heparin cofactor II and to achieve complete thrombin inhibition. The linear sulfated fucan requires significantly longer chains than mammalian glycosaminoglycans to achieve anticoagulant activity. A slight decrease in the molecular size of the sulfated fucan dramatically reduces its effect on thrombin inactivation mediated by heparin cofactor II. Sulfated fucan with ∼ 45 tetrasaccharide repeating units binds to heparin cofactor II but is unable to link efficiently the plasma inhibitor and thrombin. This last effect requires chains with ∼ 100 or more tetrasaccharide repeating units. We speculate that the template mechanism may predominate over the allosteric effect in the case of the linear sulfated fucan inactivation of thrombin in the presence of heparin cofactor II.

A dermatan sulfate, similar to the mammalian glycosaminoglycans but not identical with any of them, has been isolated from the body of the ascidian Ascidia nigra. Degradation with chondroitin ABC lyase, analysis of the disaccharide products by digestion with chondro-4- and −6-sulfatases, and ¹H and C NMR data confirm that the predominant structure is [4-α-L-IdoA-(2SO⁴)-13-β-D-GalNAc(6SO⁴)-1]. Mammalian dermatan sulfate is an anticoagulant due to its ability to potentiate inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor II. The structure in dermatan sulfate which binds to heparin cofactor II is [4-α-L-IdoA-(2SO⁴)-13-β-D-GalNAc(4SO⁴)-1], where n ≥ 3. We have compared the ascidian dermatan sulfate with mammalian dermatan sulfate and with chemically oversulfated mammalian dermatan sulfate for anticoagulant activity as measured by the activated partial thromboplastin time assay and for its ability to potentiate heparin cofactor II. In spite of its high content of 2-O-sulfated α-L-iduronic acid residues, the ascidian compound had no discernible anticoagulant activity and had low ability to potentiate heparin cofactor II. These results suggest that 4-O-sulfation of the N-acetyl-β-D-galactosamine residues is essential for the anticoagulant activity of dermatan sulfate.