Microbial surface mannose-containing carbohydrate (Mannan) (Mannan)

Microbial surface mannose-containing carbohydrates, including mannans and high-mannose glycans, are critical structural components and Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) found on the surfaces of bacteria, fungi, and viruses (Source: NCBI, PMC4226534). These glycans serve as essential recognition sites for the host's innate immune system through Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) such as Mannose-Binding Lectin (MBL) and Dectin-2 (Source: PubMed, 21513771). In fungi like Candida albicans, mannans are major constituents of the cell wall, while in viruses like HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, high-mannose glycans on envelope glycoproteins facilitate viral entry and provide a glycan shield to evade host antibodies (Source: Nature Communications, 11, 4304). Therapeutically, these carbohydrates are targeted by lectins and engineered proteins to promote opsonization, trigger complement activation, or directly neutralize pathogens by blocking their attachment to host cells (Source: Marine Drugs, 17(12), 667). Understanding the density and branching of these mannose structures is vital for developing novel antifungal treatments, antiviral microbicides, and diagnostic assays for systemic infections.

Other names

Mannose-rich glycanHigh-mannose glycanFungal mannanBacterial mannose-containing polysaccharideMannose-containing Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern

Binding to terminal mannose residues on microbial surfaces to induce opsonization, activate the lectin complement pathway, or sterically hinder viral entry into host cells (Source: Frontiers in Immunology, 2020; DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01646).