Structural diversity of fungal glucans

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2013-01, Vol.92 (1), p.792-809
• Main Authors: Synytsya, Andriy, Novák, Miroslav
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; beta-glucans; beta-Glucans - chemistry; bioactive properties; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical modification; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal glucans; fungi; Fungi - chemistry; glucose; Glucose - chemistry; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; methylation; Microbiology; Molecular Weight; Morphology, structure, chemical composition; Mycology; Natural polymers; Nuclear magnetic resonance; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; oxidation; Physicochemistry of polymers; polymers; Polymers - chemistry; Starch and polysaccharides; Structural diversity; Structure–activity relationship
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2012.09.077

► Fungal glucans represent a number of structurally variable polysaccharides. ► There are various linear or branched α-, β- and mixed α,β-d-glucans. ► Structure of fungal glucans depends on the source and the way of isolation. ► Molecular masses and glycoside bond positions are also highly variable. ► Chemical modifications of fungal glucans improve their properties for medicinal use. Fungal glucans represent various structurally different d-glucose polymers with a large diversity of molecular mass and configuration. According to glucose anomeric structure, it is possible to distinguish α-d-glucans, β-d-glucans and mixed α,β-d-glucans. Further discrimination could be made on the basis of glycosidic bond position in a pyranoid ring, distribution of specific glycosidic bonds along a chain, branching and molecular mass. Fungal glucans can be chemically modified to obtain various derivatives of potential industrial or medicinal importance. NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool in structural analysis of fungal glucans. Together with chemolytic methods like methylation analysis and periodate oxidation, NMR is able to determine exact structure of these polysaccharides. Fungal glucans or their derivatives exert various biological activities, which are usually linked to structure, molecular mass and substitution degree.