Commentary: C-type lectins on the macrophage cell surface--recent findings.

Interest in the C-type lectin family as a fundamental mediator of diverse immune interactions has grown exponentially in recent years, especially concerning members expressed on NK cells and their roles in anti-viral and anti-tumor immunity. For macrophages, however, collating the roles of the broad range of C-type lectins expressed may be a more complex task. Analysis of the configuration of the C-type lectin(-like) domains among any other conserved modules reveals subfamilies of highly divergent structures. The identified ligands are likewise highly varied; however, most in vivo ligands are unknown and the significance of any recognized interactions is not well understood. In this commentary we review key features of C-type lectin and lectin-like receptor expression on macrophages and discuss recent data that sheds light on their varied functions. We aim to highlight the considerable body of novel/uncharacterized members of this receptor family and to place in context the initial description of CLECSF8, which is reported in this issue of the journal.