Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored fungal polysaccharide in Aspergillus fumigatus

J Biol Chem. 2005 Dec 2;280(48):39835-42. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M510163200. Epub 2005 Oct 4.

Abstract

Galactomannan is a characteristic polysaccharide of the human filamentous fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus that can be used to diagnose invasive aspergillosis. In this study, we report the isolation of a galactomannan fraction associated to membrane preparations from A. fumigatus mycelium by a lipid anchor. Specific chemical and enzymatic degradations and mass spectrometry analysis showed that the lipid anchor is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). The lipid part is an inositol phosphoceramide containing mainly C18-phytosphingosine and monohydroxylated lignoceric acid (2OH-C(24:0) fatty acid). GPI glycan is a tetramannose structure linked to a glucosamine residue: Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-6Manalpha1-4GlcN. The galactomannan polymer is linked to the GPI structure through the mannan chain. The GPI structure is a type 1, closely related to the one previously described for the GPI-anchored proteins of A. fumigatus. This is the first time that a fungal polysaccharide is shown to be GPI-anchored.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aspergillus fumigatus / metabolism*
  • Carbohydrates / chemistry
  • Chromatography, Gas
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Fabaceae / metabolism
  • Fatty Acids / chemistry
  • Galactose / analogs & derivatives
  • Glucosamine / chemistry
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / chemistry*
  • Hydrolysis
  • Inositol / chemistry
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Lipids / chemistry
  • Mannans / chemistry
  • Mannose / chemistry
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Nitrous Acid / chemistry
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Time Factors
  • Type C Phospholipases / chemistry
  • alpha-Mannosidase / metabolism

Substances

  • Carbohydrates
  • Fatty Acids
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols
  • Lipids
  • Mannans
  • Polymers
  • Polysaccharides
  • galactomannan
  • Inositol
  • Type C Phospholipases
  • alpha-Mannosidase
  • Glucosamine
  • Mannose
  • lignoceric acid
  • Nitrous Acid
  • Galactose