Distribution of antigenic oligomannosyl side chains in the cell wall mannans of several strains of Candida tropicalis

In order to clarify the distribution of antigenic oligomannosyl side chains in the cell wall mannans of the pathogenic yeast Candida tropicalis, the chemical structure of mannans isolated from four C. tropicalis strains was investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance, two-dimensional homonuclear Hartmann-Hahn (2D-HOHAHA) spectroscopy. Two-dimensional maps of the 2D-HOHAHA clearly showed the distribution of oligomannosyl side chains in the mannans. The linear side chain Manalpha1-3Manalpha1-(2Manalpha1-)(n)2Man [n> or =2] is present in the mannans from C. tropicalis IFO 0589 and IFO 1400, but not in the mannans from IFO 0199 and IFO 1647. The mannan of IFO 0589 is the only mannan with the branched side chains, Manalpha1-3[Manalpha1-6]Manalpha1-(2Manalpha1-)(n)2Man and Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3[Manalpha1-6]Manalpha1-(2Manalpha1-)(n)2Man [n> or =2]. However, this mannan lacked the phosphate group and the beta-1,2-linked oligomannosyl side chain which are features of this group. The mannans of the C. tropicalis strains IFO 0589 and IFO 1400 possessed the side chains containing an alpha-1,3-linked mannose residue previously observed in Candida albicans.