Elastin peptide receptor-directed monocyte chemotactic polysaccharides derived from seaweed sporophyll and from infectious fungus.

Abstract

We discovered that a seaweed sporophyll-derived polysaccharide of brown alga, Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) bound to monocytes and attracted them in vitro and in vivo. Physicochemical properties, affinity to a lectin-bead column and sugar composition of the chemotactic polysaccharide indicated this molecule to be a highly sulfated fucogalactan. We then identified the monocyte receptor of the sulfated fucogalactan as the elastin peptide receptor by prophylactic inhibition of the binding and the chemoattraction with lactose and the synthetic elastin peptide, Val-Gly-Val-Ala-Pro-Gly. We assume that the galactose-binding lectin, which is a component of the elastin peptide receptor complex, would recognize a Gal residue of the sulfated fucogalactan. We also observed a similar chemoattracting polysaccharide in a pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, although the content of it was much lower than in the case of seaweed sporophyll. We speculate that the chemotactic response of monocytes to the sulfated fucogalactan is part of the innate immune system to fungal infection.

• Authors: Ying Li, Hiroshi Nishiura, Kazutaka Tokita, Yukinori Kouike, Chiho Taniguchi, Masayoshi Iwahara, Norikazu Nishino, Yoichiro Hama, Makio Asakawa, Tetsuro Yamamoto
• Journal: Microbial pathogenesis (Microb Pathog) 2008 Nov-Dec Vol. 45 Issue 5-6 Pg. 423-34 ISSN: 0882-4010 [Print] England
• PMID: 18976701 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Chemotactic Factors
• Plant Extracts
• Polysaccharides
• Receptors, Cell Surface
• elastin-binding proteins

Topics

• Animals
• Candida albicans (chemistry, immunology)
• Cells, Cultured
• Chemotactic Factors (chemistry, immunology, isolation & purification)
• Chemotaxis, Leukocyte
• Female
• Guinea Pigs
• Humans
• Male
• Monocytes (immunology)
• Phaeophyta (chemistry, immunology)
• Plant Extracts (chemistry, immunology, isolation & purification)
• Polysaccharides (chemistry, immunology, isolation & purification)
• Protein Binding
• Receptors, Cell Surface (immunology)
• Seaweed (chemistry, immunology)