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Structural characterization of β-glucans from five edible fungi and structure-activity relationship on Dectin-1/Toll
Liping Liu1, Jie Feng1, Zerou Lian1
1Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Shanghai 201403, China.
Abstract:
Natural β-glucans have attracted considerable interest for their health-promoting immunomodulatory effects mediated by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). To study the structure-activity relationship, the structural characteristics of β-glucans from five edible fungi and their binding interactions with critical PRRs were investigated. Five fractions with high molecular weight (106 g/mol) were identified as β-(1 → 3)-D-glucans with branches at O-6 position, exhibiting branching ratios of 1:2 to 1:9. Surface plasmon resonance and cellular assays demonstrated their distinct binding and activation capacities towards Dectin-1, TLR4, and TLR2 receptors. Their immunostimulatory capabilities presented a significant dependency on branching ratios, with HEP20 (1:3) and PEP20 (1:4) exhibiting enhanced activity. Molecular docking revealed that the repeat units of HEP20/PEP20 could establish extensive hydrogen bonds through inserting or curling into the receptor monomer or dimer in an optimal position. These findings clarified how immune receptors interact with β-(1 → 3,1 → 6)-glucans of differing branching patterns, offering new strategies for immunopotentiation using β-glucans.
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