Cordyceps polysaccharide marker CCP modulates immune responses via highly selective TLR4/MyD88/p38 axis

Quanwei Zhang, Man Liu, Lifeng Li, Miaomiao Chen, Pema Tenzin Puno, Wanrong Bao, Hongming Zheng, Xin Wen, Huiyuan Cheng, Hauyee Fung, Tinlong Wong, Zhongzhen Zhao, Aiping Lyu*, Quanbin Han*, Handong Sun

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cordyceps, one of the most expensive natural health supplements, is popularly used to modulate immune function. However, little is known regarding the underlying mechanism of its immunomodulatory activity. We newly reported a Cordyceps quality marker CCP (Mw 433.778 kDa) which was characterized as a 1,4-α glucan by chemical and spectral analysis and is able to induce significant immune responses of macrophages. Herein, we further investigated the molecular mechanism of CCP's immunomodulatory effects. The results indicate that CCP modulates the TLR4/MyD88/p38 signaling pathway of macrophages, where TLR4 plays a crucial role as verified on TLR4-deficient (TLR4−/−) bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and TLR4−/− mice. These findings provide a precise understanding of the molecular mechanism of Cordyceps' immunomodulatory benefits.

Original languageEnglish
Article number118443
Number of pages11
JournalCarbohydrate Polymers
Volume271
Early online date16 Jul 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2021

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Materials Chemistry

User-Defined Keywords

  • Cordyceps
  • Immune responses
  • Macrophage
  • Polysaccharide
  • TLR4/MyD88/p38

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