Lectins are proteins with diverse molecular structures that share the ability to recognize and bind specifically and reversibly to carbohydrate structures without changing the carbohydrate moiety. The history of lectins started with the discovery of ricin about 130 years ago but since then our understanding of lectins has dramatically changed. Over the years the research focus was shifted from ‘the characterization of carbohydrate-binding proteins’ to ‘understanding the biological function of lectins’. Nowadays plant lectins attract a lot of attention especially because of their potential for crop improvement and biomedical research, as well as their application as tools in glycobiology. The present review aims to give an overview of plant lectins and their applications, and how the field evolved in the last decades.

凝集素是具有多种分子结构的蛋白质，它们具有识别和特异性且可逆地结合碳水化合物结构而不改变碳水化合物部分的能力。凝集素的历史始于大约 130 年前发现蓖麻毒素，但从那时起我们对凝集素的理解发生了巨大变化。多年来，研究重点从“碳水化合物结合蛋白的表征”转移到“了解凝集素的生物学功能”。如今植物凝集素吸引了很多关注，特别是因为它们在作物改良和生物医学研究方面的潜力，以及它们作为糖生物学工具的应用。本综述旨在概述植物凝集素及其应用，以及该领域在过去几十年中的发展历程。