NMR characteristics of α-D-Man-(1→2)-D-Man and α-D-Man-(1→3)-D-Man mannobioses related to Candida albicans yeast mannan structures

Candida albicans mannans are highly perspective polysaccharides for pharmaceutical and biomedical industry. However, they have not been fully characterized. Generally, the larger, acid-stable part of these complex polymers mostly contain α- (and a few β-) linked mannoses. According to this statement all 1H–13C NMR crosspeaks of α-(1→2) and α-(1→3) mannobioses in d2-water as model disaccharides were assigned (and in d6-DMSO—partial assignment). It is clearly shown that it is possible to differentiate the type, configuration and position of the glycosidic linkage i.e. α-(1→2) or α-(1→3) by one bond heteronuclear correlated spectroscopy methodology. Subsequently we compared the reference NMR data and isolated dimer fraction from Candida albicans and concluded that it is exclusively composed of α-(1→2) mannobiose. Notably α-(1→2) linkages as the branching points in the mannan polysaccharide structure imply rather spatially rigid orientation of its sidechains.