title: Structural analysis of glucosylceramides (GlcCer) from species of the Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium complex.
abstract: Glucosylceramides (GlcCer) are the main neutral glycosphingolipids expressed in fungal cells. In this work, glucosylceramides (GlcCer) were extracted from three strains of Scedosporium (Pseudallescheria) boydii, one strain of Pseudallescheria ellipsoidea and one strain of Pseudallescheria angusta and purified by several chromatographic steps. Using high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), we found a similarity between GlcCer obtained from all of the analysed strains. A detailed structural analysis of the P. ellipsoidea GlcCer was performed via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and confirmed in 1- and 2-D heteronuclear NMR experiments ((1)H-(13) C HSQC). GlcCer species produced by mycelial forms of these strains displayed the same structure previously demonstrated by our group for P. boydii, Cryptococcus neoformans, Pseudallescheria minustipora, Fusarium solani, and Colletotrichum gloesporioides. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) against GlcCer was used for immunofluorescence experiments. Our results revealed that GlcCer is present on the surface of these fungi, and no difference was observed in the GlcCer structure of the present set of strains in terms of geographic or clinical origin, suggesting a conserved GlcCer structure similar to those previously described for Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium aurantiacum, and P. minutispora. The surface distribution of GlcCer in these fungi is suggestive of the involvement of this molecule in fungal growth.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata O R
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Calixto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rollin-Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana I D
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Livia C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Liporagi-Lopes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jardel M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, UFPR, Curitiba, 81531-970, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Guilherme L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sassaki
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: eliana.bergter@micro.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barreto-Bergter
mesh_terms: D005963:Glucosylceramides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology*; D011541:Pseudallescheria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D021681:Scedosporium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D005963:Glucosylceramides
keywords: Monoclonal antibody to GlcCer; Neutral glycosphingolipids; Pseudallescheria spp; Structural characterization