Human/Mouse CLEC10A/CD301 Alexa Fluor™ Plus 680-conjugated Antibody

CLEC10A, also known as macrophage galactose/N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc) specific lectin (MGL), CD301, DC-ASGPR, and HML, is a 35-40 kDa type II transmembrane glycoprotein that belongs to the C-type lectin family (1). Human and rat carry a single gene for CLEC10A/MGL, while mouse has two closely related MGL1 and MGL2 genes. Human CLEC10A/MGL consists of a 39 amino acid (aa) cytoplasmic region, a 21 aa transmembrane segment and a 256 aa extracellular domain (ECD) with one carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) and a neck region (2). Within the CRD, human CLEC10A/MGL shares 64% - 70% aa sequence identity with mouse MGL1, mouse MGL2, and rat MGL. Alternate splicing generates multiple isoforms of human CLEC10A/MGL with 27 aa, 3 aa, and/or 4 aa deletions within the ECD (3, 4). CLEC10A/MGL is expressed on immature myleloid dendritic cells and alternatively activated (tolerogenic) macrophages and is upregulated by the immunosuppressant dexamethasone (3-7). CLEC10A/MGL selectively binds and internalizes terminal nonsialylated alpha- or beta-linked GalNAc moieties on O-linked carbohydrates, including the Tn carcinoma antigen (2-4, 8, 9). Similar ligand preference is exhibited by mouse MGL2 but not MGL1 (10). CLEC10A/MGL expressed on tolerogenic dendritic cells binds carbohydrate determinants on CD45 (RA, RB, and RC but not RO isoforms) expressed by T, NK, and B cells (6). This interaction inhibits effector T cell activation and induces their apoptosis (6). CLEC10A/MGL also binds the GP envelope glycoprotein on Marburg and Ebola viruses and enhances viral entry and infectivity (11).