SELECTIN-CARBOHYDRATE INTERACTIONS AND THE INITIATION OF THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE

The orderly migration of various white blood cell types to inflammator y sites is a highly regulated process that involves a diversity of adh esion and signaling molecules. This cellular influx is initiated by re latively low affinity interactions that allow for leukocytes to roll a long the vascular surface. This rolling phenomenon is mediated by adhe sive interactions between lectin containing adhesion molecules, termed selectins, on both the vascular endothelium and leukocytes, and carbo hydrate ligands immobilized on mucin-like scaffolds. This adhesion all ows for a rapid recognition of various cell types under the conditions of vascular flow, with the result that inflammatory cells are specifi cally decelerated adjacent to sites of inflammation. This review focus es on the various biochemical aspects of the interactions between the selectins and their cognate carbohydrate ligands, with an emphasis on the importance of these adhesive events to the inflammatory response.