Structural basis for transport and inhibition of nucleotide sugar transport in pathogenic fungi

Structural basis for transport and inhibition of nucleotide sugar transport in pathogenic fungi | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Structural basis for transport and inhibition of nucleotide sugar transport in pathogenic fungi Simon Newstead, Joanne Parker, Justin Deme, Bjarne Feddersen, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7213965/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract GDP-Mannose transporters are Golgi-localised solute carriers that are essential for the virulence of pathogenic fungi, serving as critical components of fungal glycosylation pathways. However, the mechanism by which nucleotide sugars are recognised and transported across the Golgi membrane remains unclear, hindering efforts to develop effective inhibitors that could serve as novel antifungal agents. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of the GDP-Mannose transporter, Vrg4, from Candida albicans in complex with nanobodies and in both the cytoplasmic and Golgi-facing states. Structural comparisons between these two states, in addition to a GDP-mannose bound structure, demonstrate the importance of ligand movement during transport. Additionally, we demonstrate the ability of the nanobodies to specifically inhibit Vrg4, presenting proof-of-principle that nanobodies can be used as effective inhibitors of nucleotide sugar transport and glycosylation in cells. Biological sciences/Structural biology/Electron microscopy Biological sciences/Biochemistry/Structural biology Biological sciences/Biochemistry/Glycobiology Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files ExtendedDataFigure15.pdf Extended Data Figures 1-5 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7213965","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":492074364,"identity":"97f86cf7-b662-4b33-9ec4-cc9eef2ca8bc","order_by":0,"name":"Simon 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