doi:10.1093/glycob/cwm122 Advance Access publication on October 30, 2007 Glycosylinositolphosphoceramides in Aspergillus fumigatus

Fungal glycosylinositolphosphoceramides (GIPCs) are in-volved in cell growth and fungal–host interactions. In this study, six GIPCs from the mycelium of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus were purified and characterized us-ing Q-TOF mass spectrometry and 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR. All structures have the same inositolphosphoceramide moiety with the presence of a C18:0-phytosphingosine conju-gated to a 2-hydroxylated saturated fatty acid (2-hydroxy-lignoceric acid). The carbohydrate moiety defines two types of GIPC. The first, a mannosylated zwitterionic glycosph-ingolipid contains a glucosamine residue linked in α1-2 to an inositol ring that has been described in only two other fungal pathogens. The second type of GIPC presents an α-Manp-(1→3)-α-Manp-(1→2)-IPC common core. A galactofuranose residue is found in four GIPC structures, mainly at the terminal position via a β1-2 linkage. Interest-ingly, this galactofuranose residue could be substituted by a choline–phosphate group, as observed only in the GIPC of Acremonium sp., a plant pathogen