Mycolic Acid Patterns of Some Rapidly-Growing Species of Mycobacterium

Abstract

Representative strains of some rapidly-growing species of Mycobacterium were degraded by both acid methanolysis and alkaline hydrolysis followed by phase-transfer catalysed conversion to methyl esters. Patterns of mycolic acids and other long-chain components were determined for 56 samples by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Representatives of Mycobacterium chitae contained epoxymycolates and α and α'-mycolates, lacking oxygen functions in addition to the 3-hydroxyacid unit; a previously recorded pattern of α,α'-, methoxy- and ketomycolates was confirmed for Mycobacterium thermoresistibile. An unusual pattern of α-, α'-, methoxy- and minor possible ketomycolates was characteristic of Mycobacterium agri strains. Wax-ester and α-mycolates were present in all the remaining test strains, the former being observed as their α-carboxymycolate and 2-alkanol degradation products. The principal remaining component corresponded to ketomycolates in extracts of Mycobacterium flavescens, Mycobacterium aichiense, Mycobacterium neoaurum, Mycobacterium rhodesiae, Mycobacterium tokaiense and five out of the seven Mycobacterium aurum strains. Such a pattern, but with reduced amounts of a-mycolates, was also found for Mycobacterium gadium and “ Mycobacterium gallinarum”. The above pattern, with the addition of α'-mycolates, was characteristic of Mycobacterium cbubuense, Mycobacterium duvalii, Mycobacterium gilvum, Mycobacterium parafortuitum and two remaining strains of M. aurum. Representatives of Mycobacterium komossense had a characteristic pattern with components co-chromatographing with α-, methoxy-, keto-and (ω-carboxymycolates and 2-alkanols. A number of unidentified polar components were recorded in certain chromatographic patterns.