Synthesis of oligosaccharides to identify an immunologically active epitope against Candida auris infection

Candida auris (C. auris) is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that represents a significant public health challenge as it can spread rapidly and result in high mortality rates. The mannans on the C. auris cell surface are potent immunogens and attractive targets for developing a glycoconjugate vaccine. We synthesized the oligosaccharides resembling cell surface mannans of C. auris and printed them onto microarray slides that were used to screen plasma from mice infected with C. auris. IgM antibodies in mouse plasma recognize the beta-1,2 linkage present in C. auris surface mannans. Disaccharide 19 emerged from glycan array screening as a lead for developing a vaccine against C. auris, as the majority of patient plasma samples showed antibodies against this glycan. The synthetic oligosaccharides can be used for the early detection of C. auris infections.

Automated summary

Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that can spread rapidly and cause high mortality rates. We synthesized oligosaccharides resembling its cell surface mannans and used them to screen plasma from C. auris-infected mice. IgM antibodies in the mouse plasma recognized the beta-1,2 linkage in C. auris surface mannans. Disaccharide 19 emerged as a potential lead for developing a vaccine against C. auris, as antibodies against this glycan were present in the majority of patient plasma samples. The synthetic oligosaccharides can be used for early detection of C. auris infections.