title: Beta-galactofuranose-containing O-linked oligosaccharides present in the cell wall peptidogalactomannan of Aspergillus fumigatus contain immunodominant epitopes.
abstract: O-linked oligosaccharide groups ranging from di- to hexasaccharide were beta-eliminated by mild alkaline treatment under reducting conditions from the peptidogalactomannan of Aspergillus fumigatus mycelial cell wall. The resulting reduced oligosaccharides, which were the minor components of the peptidogalactomannan fraction, were fractionated to homogeneity by successive gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography. Their primary structures were determined based on a combination of techniques including gas chromatography, ESI-QTOF-MS, 1H COSY and TOCSY, and 1H-13C HMQC NMR spectroscopy and methylation analysis, to be: alpha-Glcp-(1 --> 6)-Man-ol, beta-Galf-(1 --> 6)-alpha-Manp-(1 --> 6)-Man-ol, beta-Galf-(1 --> 5)-beta-Galf-(1 --> 6)-alpha-Manp-(1 --> 6)-Man-ol and beta-Galf-(1 --> 5)-[beta-Galf-(1 --> 5]3-beta-Galf-(1 --> 6)-Man-ol. The beta-Galf containing oligosaccharides have not been previously described as fungal O-linked oligosaccharides. The peptidogalactomannan is antigenic and was recognized by human sera of patients with aspergillosis when probed by ELISA, but de-O-glycosylation rendered a 50% decrease in its reactivity. Furthermore, when tested in a hapten inhibition test, the isolated oligosaccharide alditols were able to block, on a dose-response basis, recognition between human sera and the intact peptidogalactomannan. The immunodominant epitopes were present in the tetra- and hexasaccharide, which contain a beta-Galf-(1 --> 5)-beta-Galf terminal group. These results suggest that the O-glycosidically linked oligosaccharide chains, despite being the less abundant carbohydrate component of the A. fumigatus peptidogalactomannan, may account for a significant part of its antigenicity, other than the known activity associated with the galactomannan component.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, CCS Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21944-970, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eduardo A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Leitao
authors.forename: Vera C B
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: Rosa M T
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Haido
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Jasna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peter-Katalinic
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Letzel
authors.forename: Lauro M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barreto-Bergter
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D005690:Galactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008745:Methylation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D006241:Haptens; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D005690:Galactose