Purification and properties of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens produced by different mould species

Abstract

Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens produced by different mould species were purified and partially characterized. Purification included (NH4)2SO4 treatment, Sepharose CL-4B column chromatography and Con A-sepharose chromatography. The EPS of Penicillium digitatum, Mucor racemosus and Cladosporium cladosporioides showed high antigenic capacities. Immunologically the EPS were partially genus-specific, but cross-reactivity was observed. The EPS antigens produced by species of Penicillium, Aspergillus repens and Geotrichum candidum lost their immunological activity upon heating (100 degrees C) at pH 1.8, while the EPS antigen of M. racemosus, Rhizopus oligosporus and C. cladosporioides were stable under the same conditions. The dominant monosaccharides present in the EPS antigen were mannose, galactose and glucose. The EPS obtained from cultures of M. racemosus and R. oligosporus also contained rhamnose. In the EPS produced by Penicillium spp. and A. repens the galactose residues were determined to be immunodominant.

Development of monoclonal-antibody-ELISA and -DIP-STICK immunoassays for Penicillium islandicum in rice grains

“…A rapid assay such as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or DOT-BLOT immunoassay is needed that would specifically differentiate P. islandicum from other species of Penicillium or Aspergillus. Notermans et al (1987) developed a relatively specific antiserum that recognized only species of Penicillium and Aspergillus but apparently f Present address: School of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.…”

Human serum antibodies to extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) of moulds

“…Recently it was proven that the galactofuranosyl groups present in the galactomannan of A. fumigatus [2] and in species of Aspergillus and Penicillium [9] were indeed immunodominant. In contrast to Suzuki & Takeda [12], Notermans & Soentoro [8] showed that the EPS were immunologically almost genus-specific and…”

“…These polysaccharides with molecular weights over 10000 are released by moulds during growth [3,9,10]. Extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) derived from fungal mycelia are immunologically active [7, 8, 12].…”

Biotechnology-Based Methods for the Detection, Enumeration and Epidemiology of Food Poisoning and Spoilage Organisms

“…In addition, the antibody showed strong binding to mycelia but not to mature conidia, suggesting that the assay could be used to detect active growth, which cou)d be differentiated from the mere presence of spores. Notermans et al (1987) have also developed a relatively specific antiserum able to recognize only species of Pellicilliuln and Ajpergillus and have compared ELISA with colony counts for the detection of moulds in spices and nuts (Notermans et aI., 1987). Such antibody-linked probes may also lead to a redevelopment of the Howard Mould Count (Howard, 1911), which is a direct microscopic method of determining the extent of fungal hyphae contaminating such products as tomato ketchup.…”