Molecular distinction of cell wall and capsular polysaccharides in encapsulated pathogens by in situ magic-angle spinning NMR techniques

article Molecular distinction of cell wall and capsular polysaccharides in encapsulated pathogens by in situ magic-angle spinning NMR techniques published yes Alons Lends author Gaelle Lamon author Loic Delcourte author Aude Sturny-Leclere author Axelle Grélard author Estelle Morvan author Muhammed Bilal Abdul-Shukkoor author Mélanie Berbon author Alicia Vallet author Birgit Habenstein author Erick J. Dufourc author Paul Schanda author 7B541462-FAF6-11E9-A490-E8DFE56974250000-0002-9350-7606 Vishukumar Aimanianda author Antoine Loquet author PaSc department Pathogenic fungal and bacterial cells are enveloped within a cell wall, a molecular barrier at their cell surface, and a critical architecture that constantly evolves during pathogenesis. Understanding the molecular composition, structural organization, and mobility of polysaccharides constituting this cell envelope is crucial to correlate cell wall organization with its role in pathogenicity and to identify potential antifungal targets. For the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, the characterization of the cell envelope has been complexified by the presence of an additional external polysaccharide capsular shell. Here, we investigate how magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR techniques increase the analytical capabilities to characterize the structure and dynamics of this encapsulated pathogen. The versatility of proton detection experiments, dynamic-based filters, and relaxation measurements facilitate the discrimination of the highly mobile external capsular structure from the internal rigid cell wall of C. neoformans. In addition, we report the in situ detection of triglyceride molecules from lipid droplets based on NMR dynamic filters. Together, we demonstrate a nondestructive technique to study the cell wall architecture of encapsulated microbes using C. neoformans as a model, an airborne opportunistic fungal pathogen that infects mainly immunocompromised but also competent hosts. American Chemical Society2025 eng Journal of the American Chemical Society 0002-7863 1520-5126 39955787 00142362860000110.1021/jacs.4c16975 14786813-6824 A. Lends et al., “Molecular distinction of cell wall and capsular polysaccharides in encapsulated pathogens by in situ magic-angle spinning NMR techniques,” Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 147, no. 8. American Chemical Society, pp. 6813–6824, 2025. Lends, A., Lamon, G., Delcourte, L., Sturny-Leclere, A., Grélard, A., Morvan, E., … Loquet, A. (2025). Molecular distinction of cell wall and capsular polysaccharides in encapsulated pathogens by in situ magic-angle spinning NMR techniques. Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c16975">https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c16975</a> Lends, Alons, et al. “Molecular Distinction of Cell Wall and Capsular Polysaccharides in Encapsulated Pathogens by in Situ Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Techniques.” Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 147, no. 8, American Chemical Society, 2025, pp. 6813–24, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c16975">10.1021/jacs.4c16975</a>. Lends A, Lamon G, Delcourte L, et al. Molecular distinction of cell wall and capsular polysaccharides in encapsulated pathogens by in situ magic-angle spinning NMR techniques. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2025;147(8):6813-6824. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c16975">10.1021/jacs.4c16975</a> Lends, Alons, Gaelle Lamon, Loic Delcourte, Aude Sturny-Leclere, Axelle Grélard, Estelle Morvan, Muhammed Bilal Abdul-Shukkoor, et al. “Molecular Distinction of Cell Wall and Capsular Polysaccharides in Encapsulated Pathogens by in Situ Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Techniques.” Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 2025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c16975">https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c16975</a>. Lends A, Lamon G, Delcourte L, Sturny-Leclere A, Grélard A, Morvan E, Abdul-Shukkoor MB, Berbon M, Vallet A, Habenstein B, Dufourc EJ, Schanda P, Aimanianda V, Loquet A. 2025. Molecular distinction of cell wall and capsular polysaccharides in encapsulated pathogens by in situ magic-angle spinning NMR techniques. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 147(8), 6813–6824. A. Lends, G. Lamon, L. Delcourte, A. Sturny-Leclere, A. Grélard, E. Morvan, M.B. Abdul-Shukkoor, M. Berbon, A. Vallet, B. Habenstein, E.J. Dufourc, P. Schanda, V. Aimanianda, A. Loquet, Journal of the American Chemical Society 147 (2025) 6813–6824. 190722025-02-23T23:01:56Z2025-09-30T10:36:53Z