Identification of the cysteine residue responsible for oxidative inactivation of mouse galectin-2.

Galectins are a group of animal lectins characterized by their specificity for β-galactosides. Mouse galectin-2 (mGal-2) is predominantly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract and has been identified as one of the main gastric mucosal proteins that are uniquely sensitive to S-nitrosylation. We have previously reported that oxidation of mGal-2 by hydrogen peroxide (HO) resulted in the loss of sugar-binding ability, whereas pre-treatment of mGal-2 with S-nitrosocysteine prevented HO-induced inactivation.