Nicotinamide nucleotide coenzymes in mycobacteria.

Abstract

The concentrations of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzymes and the effect of age of the organism on these coenzymes were studied in the fast growing saprophyte, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and the slow growing pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Maximal levels of the nucleotides were observed in the early phases of growth in both species. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide was the major oxidized form, whereas reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate was the more dominant reduced form in both the species. The ratio of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate was approximately 6 in Mycobacterium smegmatis in the logarithmic phase of growth, whereas that in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was approximately 2. These results and those of other investigators suggest that the slow growing and higher lipid-containing mycobacteria possess higher levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, ...