Lectins from Mycelia of Basidiomycetes

Abstract

Lectins are proteins of a nonimmunoglobulin nature that are capable of specific recognition of and reversible binding to the carbohydrate moieties of complex carbohydrates, without altering the covalent structure of any of the recognized glycosyl ligands. They have a broad range of biological activities important for the functioning of the cell and the whole organism and, owing to the high specificity of reversible binding to carbohydrates, are valuable tools used widely in biology and medicine. Lectins can be produced by many living organisms, including basidiomycetes. Whereas lectins from the fruit bodies of basidiomycetes have been studied sufficiently well, mycelial lectins remain relatively unexplored. Here, we review and comparatively analyze what is currently known about lectins isolated from the vegetative mycelium of macrobasidiomycetes, including their localization, properties, and carbohydrate specificities. Particular attention is given to the physiological role of mycelial lectins in fungal growth and development.

Gene diversity explains variation in biological features of insect killing fungus, Beauveria bassiana

“…In counterpart, lectin-like and VVA precursor NSCs were negatively correlated with the virulence suggesting conserved functional proteins in the high virulent isolates. While lectin, MSB2 and chitinase proteins have been described to be involved in fungal virulence and stress response [26][27][28][29] , VVA2 precursor function was not studied in EPF. VVA2 precursor belongs to the delta-endotoxin family of proteins.…”

Enzyme activity and biochemical changes during production of Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler

“…Mycelial aggregation is required for the assimilation of the substrate and for the development and growth of the colony, and the fungus needs to mobilize sugars and transport them. During this phase, a key role is played by lectins, which are involved in carbohydrate, intercellular bridges and signal transduction in biological systems (Konska, 2006;Nikitina et al, 2017). On addition, during the mycelial growth and cell cycle, the cell wall structure of fungi is constantly changing.…”

“…The cell wall consists of multiple layers of polysaccharide, glycoproteins and proteins with cross links. Polysaccharides are comprised of β-glucans (chiefly β-1,3-glucan and β-1, 6-glucan), chitin, chitosan, mannan and α-glucans (Aimanianda et al, 2010;Nikitina et al, 2017).…”

Agaricus bisporus Wild Mushroom Extract as Lectin Source for Engineering a Lactose Photoelectrochemical Biosensor

“…The first study on mushroom lectins dates back to 1910, when the toxicological properties of Amanita muscaria were investigated [4]. Over time, these species have captured more attention for their immeasurable nutritional and pharmacological value, showing antiproliferative, immunomodulatory, and antibacterial properties associated with lectin activity [1,2,4,5]. The presence of these macromolecules (generally 15-90 kDa molecular weight [6]) in the fruiting bodies and vegetative mycelia of several mushrooms has been reported, including those expressed by the genera Agaricus, Coprinus, Lentinus, Ganoderma, Pleurotus, Pycnoporus, Schizophyllum, Trametes, and Volvariella as representative examples [1,4,5].…”

“…Over time, these species have captured more attention for their immeasurable nutritional and pharmacological value, showing antiproliferative, immunomodulatory, and antibacterial properties associated with lectin activity [1,2,4,5]. The presence of these macromolecules (generally 15-90 kDa molecular weight [6]) in the fruiting bodies and vegetative mycelia of several mushrooms has been reported, including those expressed by the genera Agaricus, Coprinus, Lentinus, Ganoderma, Pleurotus, Pycnoporus, Schizophyllum, Trametes, and Volvariella as representative examples [1,4,5]. Mushroom lectins are different from each other and from those found in plants and animals in terms of their amino acid sequence, number of subunits, affinity for different carbohydrates/glycoconjugates, and chain stability at different pH levels and temperatures [7].…”