Galectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus
Abstract Respiratory infections caused by pathogenic bacteria pose a rapidly growing public health threat. The nasal mucus layer serves as the first line of defense against pathogen invasion; however, in nasal mucus, the antimicrobial components and their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here,...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Veterinary Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-025-01586-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849761466900545536 |
|---|---|
| author | Yichao Ma Xinming Qin Jiachen Liu Shiqi Liu Ruoyang Lin Baoyan Meng Xiaojing Cui Qian Yang |
| author_facet | Yichao Ma Xinming Qin Jiachen Liu Shiqi Liu Ruoyang Lin Baoyan Meng Xiaojing Cui Qian Yang |
| author_sort | Yichao Ma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Respiratory infections caused by pathogenic bacteria pose a rapidly growing public health threat. The nasal mucus layer serves as the first line of defense against pathogen invasion; however, in nasal mucus, the antimicrobial components and their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we collected nasal mucus from goat nasal mucosal explant models and identified significant antimicrobial activity in the total protein fraction. Subsequent fractionation indicated that proteins < 30 kDa exhibited the most potent bactericidal activity. Nano LC–ESI–MS/MS analysis identified galectin-3 as a key protein with potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Streptococcus suis (S. suis). Galectin-3 targeted teichoic acids on the bacterial surface, disrupting membrane integrity. Additionally, it inhibited the synthesis of three critical bacterial proteins: enoyl-ACP reductase (FabK), carbamate kinase (CK), and small ribosomal subunit protein uS2 (rpsB), thereby destroying bacterial growth and metabolism. In the murine nasal infection model, galectin-3 accelerated the clearance of S. suis and alleviated pathological damage caused by the infection. Taken together, our findings provide the first evidence of the direct antimicrobial action of galectin-3 in nasal mucus and elucidate its mechanisms involving bacterial membrane disruption and inhibition of key metabolic proteins. These results highlight galectin-3 as a promising therapeutic target for S. suis infections. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-655a02b996e34ffb9159f581ec68efd5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1297-9716 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-655a02b996e34ffb9159f581ec68efd52025-08-20T03:06:01ZengBMCVeterinary Research1297-97162025-07-0156111910.1186/s13567-025-01586-wGalectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucusYichao Ma0Xinming Qin1Jiachen Liu2Shiqi Liu3Ruoyang Lin4Baoyan Meng5Xiaojing Cui6Qian Yang7MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityMOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityMOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityMOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityMOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityMOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityMOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityMOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityAbstract Respiratory infections caused by pathogenic bacteria pose a rapidly growing public health threat. The nasal mucus layer serves as the first line of defense against pathogen invasion; however, in nasal mucus, the antimicrobial components and their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we collected nasal mucus from goat nasal mucosal explant models and identified significant antimicrobial activity in the total protein fraction. Subsequent fractionation indicated that proteins < 30 kDa exhibited the most potent bactericidal activity. Nano LC–ESI–MS/MS analysis identified galectin-3 as a key protein with potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Streptococcus suis (S. suis). Galectin-3 targeted teichoic acids on the bacterial surface, disrupting membrane integrity. Additionally, it inhibited the synthesis of three critical bacterial proteins: enoyl-ACP reductase (FabK), carbamate kinase (CK), and small ribosomal subunit protein uS2 (rpsB), thereby destroying bacterial growth and metabolism. In the murine nasal infection model, galectin-3 accelerated the clearance of S. suis and alleviated pathological damage caused by the infection. Taken together, our findings provide the first evidence of the direct antimicrobial action of galectin-3 in nasal mucus and elucidate its mechanisms involving bacterial membrane disruption and inhibition of key metabolic proteins. These results highlight galectin-3 as a promising therapeutic target for S. suis infections.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-025-01586-wNasal mucusantimicrobial activitygalectin-3binding teichoic acidsinhibiting protein synthesis |
| spellingShingle | Yichao Ma Xinming Qin Jiachen Liu Shiqi Liu Ruoyang Lin Baoyan Meng Xiaojing Cui Qian Yang Galectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus Veterinary Research Nasal mucus antimicrobial activity galectin-3 binding teichoic acids inhibiting protein synthesis |
| title | Galectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus |
| title_full | Galectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus |
| title_fullStr | Galectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Galectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus |
| title_short | Galectin-3: a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus |
| title_sort | galectin 3 a novel antimicrobial host factor identified in goat nasal mucus |
| topic | Nasal mucus antimicrobial activity galectin-3 binding teichoic acids inhibiting protein synthesis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-025-01586-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yichaoma galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus AT xinmingqin galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus AT jiachenliu galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus AT shiqiliu galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus AT ruoyanglin galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus AT baoyanmeng galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus AT xiaojingcui galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus AT qianyang galectin3anovelantimicrobialhostfactoridentifiedingoatnasalmucus |