Lipoarabinomannan is synthesized via addition of mannose residues to phosphoinositol by a series of mannosyltransferases to produce PIMs and lipomannan(LM). Mannosylated LAMs (ManLAM) are characterized by the presence of mannosyl caps on the terminal D-arabinan. These types of LAMs are most commonly found in more pathogenic Mycobacterium species such as M. tuberculosis, M. leprae, and M. bovis. ManLAM has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory molecule that inhibits production of TNF-α and IL-12 production by human dendritic cells and human macrophages in vitro and to modulate M. tuberculosis-induced macrophage apoptosis via binding to host macrophage mannose receptors. This is particularly important in deactivating host macrophages to allow the bacteria to survive and multiply within them.