Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42693146›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Glycoprotein-induced phase separation drives unconventional secretion of galectin-3.

Zihan Zhao, Zhen He, Hongming Gu, Andong Zhou, Yibing Wang, Zhaoyi Liang, Jie Geng, Xuejiao Xu, Menghui Wang, Chunyao Li and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Zihan Zhao *Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4558-0606
Zhen He *Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-0704-9366
Hongming GuEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Andong ZhouEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Yibing WangEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Zhaoyi LiangEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-1334-0503
Jie GengEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Xuejiao XuEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Menghui WangEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Chunyao LiEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Yuying FanEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8873-4946
Hairong ChengEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Lin SunEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Kevin H MayoDepartment of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Avraham RazDepartment of Oncology, School of Medicine, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. araz@med.wayne.edu.
Guihua TaiEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China. taigh477@nenu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4709-6922
Yifa ZhouEngineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China. zhouyf383@nenu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1917-2000

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32171276National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32401064National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82595980/82595982
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The mechanism of unconventional protein secretion remains an unresolved issue. Here, we describe an unconventional protein secretion pathway for galectin-3 that is mediated by phase separation and condensation. Using four lysosomal damage models, we observed a rapid, pronounced release of galectin-3 in large, non-exosomal particles. This secretion is driven by glycoprotein-induced galectin-3 phase separation and is independent of pyroptosis and secretory autophagy. During phase separation, the S-face of galectin-3 carbohydrate recognition domain binds glycoproteins that triggers galectin-3 N-terminal tail release and condensation. These condensates then recruit ALG-2 via the exposed N-terminal tail. ALG-2 directs the condensates to the endoplasmic reticulum-late endosome interface. After translocation into late endosomes, galectin-3 condensates are secreted into the extracellular milieu by SNARE-dependent vesicular transport. This mechanism of exporting phase-separated protein condensates may serve as a clean-up response to membrane damage.

Indexed as

Galectin 3GlycoproteinsAnimalsEndoplasmic ReticulumEndosomesHumansLysosomesPhase SeparationProtein TransportGalectin 3Glycoproteins

Identifiers

PMID42693146
PMCPMC13542199

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.