Uncovering the Secrets of Fungal Cell Walls

Published January 04, 2019

Left: Two-dimensional 13C-13C spectra. Right: Representative structure of glycans

With unprecedented sensitivity and resolution from state-of-the-art magnets, scientists have identified for the first time the cell wall structure of one of the most prevalent and deadly fungi.

What did scientists discover?

This collaboration determined the three-dimensional architecture of the carbohydrate-rich cell wall in native and intact fungi. By using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), scientists can now elucidate how carbohydrates and proteins are packed to form the cell walls of the most prevalent and deadly fungi.

Why is this important?

Life-threatening infections by pathogenic fungi have evolved into a major threat to human health, impacting millions of people every year. Knowledge gained from these experiments provides the molecular basis for engineering more effective antifungal drugs.

Who did the research?

Xue Kang¹, Alex Kirui¹, Artur Muszyński², Malitha C Dickwella Widanage¹, Adrian Chen¹, Parastoo Azadi², Ping Wang³, Frederic Mentink-Vigier⁴, Tuo Wang¹

¹Louisiana State University; ²University of Georgi; ³LSU Health Sciences Center; ⁴National MagLab.

Why did they need the MagLab?

The fungal cell wall is a highly complex composite of many different biomolecules. A successful determination of the structures in the fungal cell wall requires a combination of the increased resolution from high-field magnets and the NMR signal sensitivity boost resulting from the instruments and expertise available through the MagLab’s unique DNP user program.