Clec3b, encoding tetranectin, is a C-type lectin domain family 3 member B and a Ca2+ binding transmembrane protein. It has diverse functions and is involved in multiple biological processes. It may participate in pathways like Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt, and is associated with cell adhesion, proliferation, apoptosis, and immune-related processes [1,3,4,5].

In hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and lung adenocarcinoma, decreased Clec3b expression is related to poor survival, and it may affect tumor-immune cell infiltration, cellular proliferation, and metastasis. For example, in cholangiocarcinoma, overexpression of Clec3b inhibits proliferation and migration through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway [1,3,4,6]. In a mouse model of macular-retinal dystrophy, subretinal injection of the Clec3B variant led to pathological changes, indicating its role in this eye disease [2]. In H9c2 cardiomyocytes, overexpression of Clec3B protects against hypoxia-induced apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt pathway [5].

In conclusion, Clec3b plays crucial roles in multiple disease conditions, especially in cancer and macular-retinal dystrophy. Mouse models, such as those used in macular-retinal dystrophy and in vitro cell-based models mimicking disease conditions, have been valuable in revealing its functions in promoting or inhibiting disease-related cellular processes, providing potential insights for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

References:

1. Xie, Xing-Wei, Jiang, Shan-Shan, Li, Xiang. 2021. CLEC3B as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In Frontiers in molecular biosciences, 7, 614034. doi:10.3389/fmolb.2020.614034. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33553242/

2. Zhou, Rong, Mawatari, Go, Cai, Xue-Bi, Nao-I, Nobuhisa, Jin, Zi-Bing. 2022. CLEC3B is a novel causative gene for macular-retinal dystrophy. In Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 24, 1249-1260. doi:10.1016/j.gim.2022.02.012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35331648/

3. Sun, Jiaxing, Xie, Tian, Jamal, Muhammad, Zhang, Qiuping, Huang, Xiaoxing. 2020. CLEC3B as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in lung cancer and association with the immune microenvironment. In Cancer cell international, 20, 106. doi:10.1186/s12935-020-01183-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32265595/

4. Wu, Shengze, Wang, Guangfeng, Xie, Yuwei, Dong, Bingzi, Zhu, Chengzhan. 2024. The CLEC3B inhibits cellular proliferation and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma through Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In PeerJ, 12, e18497. doi:10.7717/peerj.18497. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39553729/

5. Lv, Fenghua, Wang, Zhuo, Huang, Yanli, Si, Aoyang, Chen, Yulei. 2020. CLEC3B protects H9c2 cardiomyocytes from apoptosis caused by hypoxia via the PI3K/Akt pathway. In Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas, 53, e9693. doi:10.1590/1414-431x20209693. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32696821/

6. Lu, Xiangjun, Shen, Jian, Huang, Siyuan, Wang, Haitao, Liu, Dongdong. 2022. Down-regulation of CLEC3B facilitates epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells. In Tissue & cell, 76, 101802. doi:10.1016/j.tice.2022.101802. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35500520/