epiglucan and Anaphylaxis

Cell wall glycans of fungi/yeasts are reviewed. Fungi/yeasts produce various kinds of polysaccharides. As part of the cell wall they are interlinked with other components forming a huge network. The insolubility and complex with multiple components makes the research very tough. Studies on beta-glucan have been performed from various views, such as chemistry, conformation, solubility, tissue distribution and metabolism, biological activity, clinical application, receptor, biosynthesis, and antibody. Studies on mannan focus on immunotoxicity, such as anaphylactoid reaction and coronary arteritis induction. alpha-glucan, chitin, and capsular polysaccharide were also mentioned in relation to structure and genes. Compared with human and animal polysaccharides, fungi/yeasts polysaccharides have very characteristic properties.

Topics: Anaphylaxis; Animals; Arteritis; beta-Glucans; Cell Wall; Coronary Vessels; Fungi; Humans; Mannans

Candida albicans water soluble fraction (CAWS), water soluble fraction of Candida albicans mainly composed of mannoprotein-beta-glucan complex, has various biological effects, such as anaphylactoid shock and coronary arteritis. These toxicological effects fit CAWS as one of PAMPs, pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Acute anaphylactoid reaction is known to be induced by lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli O9 (O9 LPS), which possesses the mannose homopolysaccharide as the O-antigen region. In the present study, we compared immunotoxicological and immunochemical similarity between CAWS and O9 LPS. CAWS strongly reacted with Candida serum factors, and the reactivity was found to be partially competed with O9 LPS. CAWS induced lethal toxicity was inhibited by pretreatment of mice with i.v. injection of CAWS. The lethality was found to be inhibited by i.v. injection of O9 LPS. Vice versa, O9 LPS induced acute lethal toxicity was also inhibited by pretreatment of mice with CAWS. These results suggested that CAWS, fungal PAMPs, and O9 LPS from Gram-negative bacteria share, at least in part, immunochemical and immunotoxicological activities.

Topics: Anaphylaxis; Animals; beta-Glucans; Candida albicans; Endotoxins; Escherichia coli; Immunochemistry; Injections, Intravenous; Membrane Glycoproteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; O Antigens

Candida albicans water soluble fraction (CAWS) is a water-soluble extracellular mannoprotein-beta-glucan complex obtained from the culture supernatant of Candida albicans, which grows in a chemically defined medium. CAWS induced toxic reactions, such as acute anaphylactoid reaction, by intravenous administration and coronary arteritis by intraperitoneal administration. To clarify the structure responsible for these toxic reactions, C. albicans was cultured in pH- and temperature-controlled conditions and prepared with CAWS with or without the beta-1,2-linked mannosyl segment (BM). The structure of CAWS was assessed by immunochemical and spectroscopic methodologies, and we found that CAWS prepared under the natural culture conditions contained only small amounts of BM and CAWS prepared at neutral conditions at 27 degrees C contained a significantly higher percentage of BM. Both the acute lethal toxicity and coronary arteritis induction was significantly more severe in the absence of BM. Activation of a complement pathway, the lectin pathway, by CAWS was significantly stronger in the absence of BM. These facts strongly suggest that BM linkages in CAWS negatively modulate acute and chronic toxicity of CAWS, and may be strongly related to the lectin pathway of the complement activation.

Topics: Anaphylaxis; Animals; beta-Glucans; Candida albicans; Complement Activation; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Mannose; Mannose-Binding Lectin; Membrane Glycoproteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred DBA; Mice, Inbred ICR; Vasculitis