title: Carbohydrate profiling of fungal cell wall surface glycoconjugates of Aspergillus species in brain and lung tissues using lectin histochemistry.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate, through lectin histochemistry, the expression of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-fucose, D-galactose and glucose/mannose on the cell wall surfaces of Aspergillus species in histopathological specimens of brain (n = 1) and lung (n = 6) tissues obtained during autopsy of patients diagnosed postmortem as having had invasive aspergillosis. Concanavalin A (Con A), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), Ulex europeus agglutinin I (UEA-I) and peanut agglutinin (PNA), all conjugated with horseradish peroxidase, were employed. Lectin-binding was visualized using 3,3-diaminobendizine (DAB) and hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). We observed expression of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and methyl-α-D-mannoside on the cell wall surfaces of all evaluated Aspergillus species, while the expression of L-fucose and D-galactose demonstrated inter and intra-specific variations. The results obtained from this study indicate that the use of WGA and Con A lectins permits visualization of Aspergillus structures such as hyphae, conidial heads and conidia in histopathological specimens of brain and lung tissues.
authors: Departamento de Micologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors: André F G
authors: AF
authors: Leal
authors: Nadja E P
authors: NE
authors: Lopes
authors: Arthur T R
authors: AT
authors: Clark
authors: Nicodemos T
authors: NT
authors: de Pontes Filho
authors: Eduardo I C
authors: EI
authors: Beltrão
authors: Rejane P
authors: RP
authors: Neves
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001344:Autopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009172:Mycology / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D006001:Glycoconjugates; D037102:Lectins