DR. D'ADAMO: LECSTER 7

Genus and species
This is the standard scientific nomenclature, in Latin.

Common nomenclature
Although considered archaic,  trivial names and three letter abbreviations constitute the most common way many lectin are represented in the literature.

Source organism
This is most usually whatever common name the source of the lectin or galectin is known by, if any.

Source tissue
This is most usually where the lectin has been isolated. They are identified in table 3.

Specificity
The overall specificity of the lectin or galectin. When the specificity has been determined in detail, the most inhibitory compound is indicated in brackets.

Inhibitors
What glycoconjugates have been shown to inhibit biological activity (most usually hemagglutination.)

Biologic activity
What biologic systems have been shown to be influenced by the lectin, with relevant literature references. These are most often hemagglutination or mitogenic reactions. ABO or other blood group specificity provided when possible.

References
References which can be consider authoritative as far as characterization of the lectin is concerned. 

Characterization notes
Structure/ function reports with relevant literature citations 

Lectin nomenclature
Lecster uses an expanded lectin nomenclature system originally proposed for plant lectins by Van Damme et al (Handbook of Plant Lectins, John Wiley & Sons). This allows a more specific identification of the lectin and carries with it the added benefit of much relevant information being contained directly in the key. Also, once comprehended,  it becomes perhaps the most sophisticated way to search Lecster via partial entries.

It takes the following form:

LLLx.Ggg.Sss.ti.TspN

An explanation of each index variable follows.

LLL refers to the general category of agglutinin. At this point six general categories are recognized: lectins (LEC), integrins (INT), cadherins (CDH), annexins (ANN), selectins (SEL) and galectins (GLT). The x value refers to the taxonomic groups  of the agglutinin, Table 1 summarizes these categories:

Ggg stands for the three first letters of the plant genus name (in Latin).

Sss stands for the three first letters of the plant species name (in Latin).

ti refers to the tissue from which the lectin has been isolated. Table 2 summarizes the indices used for the various tissues.

T refers to the lectin subtype. Hololectins, merolectins, chimerolectins and superlectins are indicated by the letters H, M, C and S, respectively.

sp refers to the specificity group. Each group is indicated by the index given in Table 3

N is used to distinguish different lectins of the same specificity group which may occur in the same tissue of a single plant species. When a plant contains only one lectin of a given specificity in a particular tissue, the number is 1. In case different lectins of the same specificity are found in the same tissue, numbers refer to the (chronological) order of their discovery.