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Structural characterization and immunomodulatory activity of an exopolysaccharide from marine-derived Aspergillus
Keyue Wu1, Yiyang Li1, Yuqi Lin2
1University Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China.
Abstract:
Until now, relatively little is known about marine-derived fungal polysaccharides and their activities. Exopolysaccharide AVP141-A was isolated from the broth of marine-derived fungus Aspergillus versicolor SCAU141 and purified by Diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephadex G-100. The structural characteristics of AVP141-A was studied by chemical analysis together with high-performance gel permeation chromatography, ion chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results showed that AVP141-A with the molecular weight of 5.10 kDa was mainly composed of →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, branched by α-D-Glcp-(1→ and →6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ at C-6 positions of the glucan backbone. In particular, sulfate ester (approximately 3.62 %) was found in AVP141-A, which was frequently considered to occur in marine-derived microbial polysaccharides rather than other microbial polysaccharides. Furthermore, AVP141-A significantly enhanced the activity of the inflammatory factors NO, COX-2 and TNF-α in RAW264.7 macrophages by activating the MAPK/p38 and NF-κB/p65 pathways. In addition, metabolomic analysis revealed that most of the pathways with significant changes in RAW264.7 macrophages treated with AVP141-A were amino acid-related pathways, and arginine was the characteristic metabolite. In conclusion, this study identified AVP141-A as a marine fungus-derived sulfated exopolysaccharide with potential for development as an immune activator.
Insights
Marine fungus Aspergillus versicolor SCAU141 yielded exopolysaccharide AVP141-A. This sulfated polysaccharide activates immune responses by modulating inflammatory pathways and amino acid metabolism, showing potential as an immune activator.
Area of Science:
- Marine microbiology
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Limited knowledge exists on marine-derived fungal polysaccharides and their biological activities.
- Marine fungi represent a promising source of novel bioactive compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize a novel exopolysaccharide (AVP141-A) from the marine fungus Aspergillus versicolor SCAU141.
- To investigate the structural features and immunomodulatory effects of AVP141-A.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and purification using chromatography techniques (Diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose Fast Flow, Sephadex G-100).
- Structural elucidation via chemical analysis, HPLC, IC, FTIR, GC-MS, and NMR spectroscopy.
- Assessment of immunomodulatory activity in RAW264.7 macrophages, including pathway analysis (MAPK/p38, NF-κB/p65) and metabolomics.
Main Results:
- AVP141-A is a sulfated exopolysaccharide (3.62% sulfate) with a molecular weight of 5.10 kDa, primarily composed of α-D-glucan.
- AVP141-A significantly enhanced inflammatory factors (NO, COX-2, TNF-α) in macrophages by activating MAPK/p38 and NF-κB/p65 pathways.
- Metabolomic analysis indicated significant alterations in amino acid-related pathways, with arginine identified as a characteristic metabolite.
Conclusions:
- AVP141-A is a novel marine fungus-derived sulfated exopolysaccharide.
- AVP141-A exhibits potent immunomodulatory properties, acting as an immune activator.
- AVP141-A holds potential for development as a therapeutic agent for immune system modulation.
