Structural analysis of cell wall mannan of Candida sojae, a new yeast species isolated from defatted soybean flakes

We investigated the structural and immunochemical characteristics of cell wall mannan obtained from Candida sojae JCM 1644, which is a new yeast species isolated from defatted soybean flakes. The results of a slide-agglutination test and of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using anti-factor sera to the pathogenic Candida species indicated that the cells and the C. sojae mannan were cross-reactive to the specific anti-factor sera against Candida albicans serotype A (FAb 6) and Candida guilliermondii (FAb 9). Two-dimensional homonuclear Hartmann-Hahn analysis indicated that the mannan consisted of various linked oligomannosyl side chains containing α-1,2-, α-1,3-, α-1,6- and β-1,2-linked mannose residues. However, although the determinants of antigenic factors 6 and 9 could be not found in this mannan, branched side chains, Manβ1-2Manα1-3[Manα1-6]Manα1-(2Manα1-)n2Man and a linear α-1,6-linked polymannosyl backbone, which are cross-reacted by FAbs 6 and 9, respectively, were identified. The mannan was subjected to acetolysis in order to determine the polymerization length of the α-1,2-linked oligomannosyl residue in the side chains. The result of ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the released oligosaccharides showed that the remarkable regularity in the length of α-1,2-linked oligomannosyl side chains, which were previously found in mannans of other Candida species, is not observed in this mannan.