Crystal Structures of Fungal Tectonin in Complex with O-Methylated Glycans Suggest Key Role in Innate Immune Defense (Structure)

Protein-carbohydrate interactions play an important role in innate immunity as they facilitate discrimination between self and non-self. Tectonins are innate defense effectors that specifically recognize O-methylated glycans. Sommer et al. determine the structural basis for tectonin specificity, revealing a conserved recognition motif and a surprising capsid-like tetrameric architecture.