title: Characterization and cytokine-stimulating activities of acidic heteroglycans from Tremella fuciformis.
abstract: Four acidic heteroglycans, T2a-T2d, were isolated from the body of Tremella fuciformis Berk. They contained 1.9%-2.9% of acetyl groups and were composed of mannose (Man), glucuronic acid (GlcA), and small amounts of xylose (Xyl), glucose (Glc), and fucose (Fuc). According to methylation analysis they had a mannan backbone consisting of 3-linked Man, and side chains containing glucosyl, mannosyl, fucosyl, xylosyl, and glucuronic acid residues. The side chains were attached through O-2, O-4, or O-6 in about 40 percent of backbone mannosyl residues. Molecular masses of the four polysaccharides were 410, 250, 34, and 20 kDa, respectively. T2a-T2d induced human monocytes to produce interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in vitro. The products of Smith degradation (T2a-S) and lithium degradation (T2a-L) of T2a and the product of deacetylation (T2b-D) of T2b also induced monocytes to secret IL-1 as efficiently as the original polysaccharides, indicating that xylosyl and glucuronic acid residues as well as acetyl groups were not important to promote the cytokine-stimulating activity.
authors.affiliation: University of Tromsø, Institute of Medical Biology, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Killie
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seljelid
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha