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Asialoglycoprotein receptor
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<p>The asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPR) are <a href="/facts/Lectin/I7Clqx4X">lectins</a> which bind <a href="/facts/Asialoglycoprotein/xnEBanfl">asialoglycoprotein</a> and <a href="/facts/Glycoprotein/bKPzzW7m">glycoproteins</a> from which a <a href="/facts/Sialic_acid/spYNJFbh">sialic acid</a> has been removed to expose <a href="/facts/Galactose/sh2hEFpC">galactose</a> residues. The receptors, which are <a href="/facts/Integral_membrane_protein/Vztpmlu1">integral membrane proteins</a> and are located on mammalian hepatocytes (<a href="/facts/Liver_cell/USpvDz1n">liver cells</a>), remove target glycoproteins from circulation. The asialoglycoprotein receptor has been demonstrated to have high expression on the surface of <a href="/facts/Hepatocyte/USpvDz1n">hepatocytes</a> and several human <a href="/facts/Carcinoma/NE9UY4VB">carcinoma</a> <a href="/facts/Cell_line/X4fClRIf">cell lines</a> It is also weakly expressed by glandular cells of the gallbladder and the stomach. <a href="/facts/Lactobionic_acid/DQ7cb67j">Lactobionic acid</a> has been used as a targeting moiety for <a href="/facts/Drug_delivery/vDfboXeT">drug delivery</a> to cells expressing asialoglycoprotein receptors. </p><p>The asialoglycoprotein receptor contains two subunits, asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) and asialoglycoprotein receptor 2 (ASGR2). These subunits may form different quaternary forms such as dimers, trimers, tetramers to allow for specific substrate binding or endocytosis. ASGR 1 is the major subunit and has 8 exons and is roughly 6 kb in length. ASGR 2 is the minor subunit and has 9 exons and is about 13.5 kb long. </p>