Mannose Receptor C Type 1 (MRC1)

The mannose receptor found on macrophages and on endothelial cells of the liver is the only known example of a C-type lectin that contains multiple C-type CRDs. One function of the receptor is to bind high-mannose structures on the surface of potentially pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi, so that they can be neutralized by phagocytic engulfment.

Kim et al. characterized the gene for the human macrophage mannose receptor (MRC1) by isolation of clones covering the entire coding region. MRC1 was demonstrated to be divided into 30 exons. The first 3 exons encode the signal sequence, the NH2-terminal cysteine-rich domain, and the fibronectin type II repeat, while the final exon encodes the transmembrane anchor and the cytoplasmic tail.