MBLficolin

MBLficolin is a hypothetical chimeric lectin proposed in discussions of innate immunity. The name blends elements of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and ficolins, two calcium-dependent lectins that participate in the lectin pathway of the complement system. In this conceptual framework, MBLficolin would fuse the carbohydrate-recognition domain characteristic of MBL with structural features typical of ficolins, such as a collagen-like stalk, to support multivalent pathogen binding and complement activation.

In principle, MBLficolin would be designed to recognize a broad range of carbohydrate patterns on microbial surfaces while retaining the capacity to recruit MASP proteases and initiate the proteolytic cascade that leads to opsonization and lysis. The design emphasizes comparative analysis of how CRDs and stalk regions contribute to ligand binding, oligomerization, and triggering of the lectin pathway.

To date, there is no experimental report of a real MBLficolin protein. It appears in theoretical discussions, design exercises, and speculative models used to explore the boundaries of lectin-mediated immunity.

If realized, MBLficolin could serve as a platform for studying receptor specificity, improving in vitro assays of complement activation, or informing protein-engineering approaches for diagnostics or immunotherapies. Any practical work would require careful assessment of biosafety, immunogenicity, and regulatory considerations typical for engineered immune modulators.

See also Mannose-binding lectin, Ficolin, Lectin pathway, Complement system, Protein engineering.