Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines
Published on: November 25, 2017
Side-chain structure of cell surface polysaccharide, mannan, affects hypocholesterolemic activity of yeast
Yasuto Yoshida1, Eiichiro Naito, Harumi Mizukoshi
1Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological Research, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan. yasuto-yoshida@yakult.co.jp
Abstract:
We previously reported that Kluyveromyces marxianus YIT 8292 exhibited more potent hypocholesterolemic activity than other yeasts containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae . To clarify the reason for the higher hypocholesterolemic activity, we examined the side-chain structure of cell surface polysaccharide, mannan, of K. marxianus YIT 8292. The result shows that K. marxianus YIT 8292 had shorter alpha-(1,2)-linked oligomannosyl side chains and lower phosphate content in mannan than S. cerevisiae. The association between its structural features and hypocholesterolemic activity was investigated by comparing the hypocholesterolemic activities of S. cerevisiae mannan mutants in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. S. cerevisiae mnn5 mutant with deficiencies in the phosphorylation and elongation of mannan side chains showed higher hypocholesterolemic activity than the wild-type strain. These results show that the side-chain length and phosphate contents of mannan affect hypocholesterolemic activity.
Related Concept Videos
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Antifungal Agents
Yeast Signaling
Formation of Lipopolysaccharides
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...
Membrane Carbohydrates
Membrane carbohydrates do not have any hydrophobic region and are exclusively located on the cell's outer surface. The addition of sugar molecules or glycosylation of proteins happens in...

