年間 12 号発行
ISSN 印刷: 1521-9437
ISSN オンライン: 1940-4344
Indexed in
The Receptor for β-Glucan of Ganoderma lucidum (W.Curt.:Fr.) Lloyd in Immune Cells
要約
The mechanisms on how polysaccharides of medicinal mushrooms can be absorbed and used in the potentiation of immunity in human bodies has not been elucidated until recently. In 2001, dectin-1 was identified as a β-glucan receptor, which is calcium dependent and whose gene is located on mouse chromosome 6 and human chromosome 12. The dectin-1 mRNA is highly expressed in dendritic cells. Dendritic cells and macrophages have pattern recognition molecules for binding β-glucan. Dectin-1 was also found in murine organs, spleen, thymus, lung, and intestines. Treatment of macrophages with β-glucan of Ganoderma lucidum (GLG) resulted in an increase of IL-6 and TNF-α in the presence of LPS. But GLG alone did not increase IL-6 or TNF-α. The results suggest that dectin-1 may cooperate with CD-14 to activate signal transduction, which is important in immune responses.