Abstract

Background: Galactofuranose, the five-membered ring form of galactose, occurs in the encapsulated pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans but not in humans. Results: We established the position of galactofuranose within a capsule polysaccharide and characterized cryptococci lacking this modification. Conclusion: Galactofuranose occurs in an unusual linkage but is not required for growth or virulence. Significance: This work fills a gap in knowledge about a pathogen-specific modification.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)10994-11003
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume288
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 19 2013

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