Trehalose Monomycolate Research Articles

Purification and characterization of a novel mycolic acid exchange enzyme from Mycobacterium smegmatis.

We have isolated and purified to homogeneity an alpha,alpha'-trehalose 6-monomycolate:alpha,alpha'-trehalose mycolyltransferase (trehalose mycolyltransferase) from Mycobacterium smegmatis that catalyzes the exchange of a mycolyl group between trehalose, trehalose 6-monomycolate (TM), and trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate (TD). This enzyme was prominent in M. smegmatis and it catalyzed the following reactions. TM + [14C]trehalose in equilibrium [14C]TM + trehalose [14C]TM + TM in equilibrium [14C]TD + trehalose This enzyme was purified by (i) ammonium sulfate fractionation, (ii) QAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography, (iii) gel filtration on a Sephadex G-75 column, and (iv) SP-Sephadex C-50 column chromatography. The purified protein yielded a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and its molecular weight was estimated to be 25,000. This enzyme was a glycoprotein, had no cofactor requirement, and was highly specific for alpha,alpha'-trehalose as the mycolate acceptor. It was less specific for the acyl donor group since the palmitoyl group in trehalose 6-monopalmitate was easily exchangeable. There was no TM acylhydrolase activity in the purified enzyme, suggesting that it is probably associated with the anabolic pathway of mycolic acid metabolism. We postulate the formation of a mycolyl-enzyme intermediate in this reaction. Such an intermediate could play a central role in the transfer of mycolic acid to form the prominent cell wall components of mycobacterial TD and possibly murein-arabinogalactan-mycolate.

Isolation of mycolic acid-containing glycolipids in Nocardia rubra and their granuloma forming activity in mice.

Three classes of glycolipids (TMM (trehalose monomycolate), TDM (trehalose dimycolate) and GM (glucose mycolate] containing mycolic acids as hydrophobic components were isolated from a strain of Nocardia rubra (Rhodococcus rubrum) and their structures have been partially characterized using infrared spectrometry, gas-liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Acid or alkaline hydrolysis of isolated glycolipids revealed that trehalose was the sole water soluble component in TMM and TDM, while glucose was the hydrophilic component in GM. On the other hand, saturated, monoenoic and dienoic mycolic acids with carbon atoms ranging from C36 to C50 contained constituents of fatty acid moiety at C44. From the analytical results, TMM, TDM and GM were tentatively identified as trehalose monomycolate, trehalose dimycolate and glucose monomycolate, respectively. The mycolic acid composition differed significantly by the glycolipid classes: the highest amount of saturated mycolic acids were detected in TMM and GM, while a significant amount of dienoic mycolic acids have been found in TDM and the cell wall bound lipid fraction (BL). All these three classes of glycolipids containing mycolic acids showed strong granuloma forming activity in lungs and spleen of ICR mice 1 week after intravenous injection of 100 to 500 micrograms glycolipid in W/O/W micelles containing Freund's incomplete adjuvant. These results indicated that glycolipids containing shorter carbon chain mycolic acids ranging C40-50, corresponding to less acyl numbers or monosaccharides such as glucose, can also produce foreign body-type granuloma in mice without protein antigens.

Detection of trehalose monomycolate in Mycobacterium leprae grown in armadillo tissues.

Trehalose-6-monomycolate (TMM) was isolated from the lipids of armadillo-derived Mycobacterium leprae. Only meagre amounts of this glycolipid were recovered, but its structure was unequivocally established. Only alpha-mycolates were detected in the TMM by 252Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometry. Electron impact mass spectrometry showed the alpha branch to be principally C20. Trehalose dimycolate (cord factor) was not detectable. Since we have also found TMM in M. lepraemurium and in every Mycobacterium species so far examined, we suggest that this glycolipid is truly ubiquitous amongst mycobacteria.

Newly isolated glycolipids from Rhodococcus terrae cell wall and their granuloma forming activities

Five glycolipids (GM-1, GM-2, GM-3, GM-4 and GM-5) were isolated from slightly acid-fast bacterium, Rhodococcus terrae. They were identified as trehalose dimycolate (GM-4), trehalose monomycolate (GM-5), glucose monomycolate (GM-3) and two newly isolated glycolipids (GM-1 and GM-2), respectively. Gaschromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the new glycolipids contained long-chain alcohols. Total carbon numbers of mycolic acid moieties of the glycolipids, similarly to other lipids, were ranging from C52 to C62 with three or four double bonds and C14 or C16 α-chain carbon numbers. After intravenous administration of the glycolipids to ICR mice in W/O/W emulsion, granulomatous changes were observed in the lungs and spleen, although they showed differences in potency depending on their sugar and acyl moieties. The toxicity of the glycolipids, indicated by the decline of body weights, were highly correlated to lung granuloma formation, but not to spleen granuloma formation.

Granuloma formation and hemopoiesis induced by C36-48-mycolic acid-containing glycolipids from Nocardia rubra.

As previously reported (I. Yano, I. Tomiyasu, S. Kitabatake, and K. Kaneda, Acta Leprologica 2:341-349, 1984), Nocardia rubra, one of the nonpathogenic actinomycetes, possesses three classes of mycolic acid-containing glycolipid, i.e., glucose mycolate, trehalose dimycolate, and trehalose monomycolate. The carbon chain length of their mycolic acids is shorter (C36-48) than that in mycobacteria (longer than C70), and the glycolipid consists of only alpha-mycolic acid. One intravenous administration of 500 micrograms of each purified glycolipid to ICR mice in the form of water-in-oil-in-water emulsion without any protein antigens caused prominent granuloma formation in the lungs, spleen, and liver. The lung index in the treated mice was about 3.5 times larger than that in the control mice (given water-in-oil-in-water emulsion only) at 1 week after the injection and then rapidly declined, while spleen and liver indices peaked at 2 weeks after the injection and persisted longer. The granuloma consisted of macrophages, some of which phagocytized glycolipid micelles, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils. In addition, many small hemopoietic islands were observed in the liver sinusoids, where various immature blood cells were trapped by the prominent cytoplasmic projections of Kupffer cells. The granuloma formation and hemopoiesis observed here are considered to be the most characteristic morphological expression of macrophage activation in these organs. This is the first report to show that such histological changes can be induced by chemically defined and homogeneous mycolic acid-containing glycolipids other than those of mycobacteria.

Improved synthesis of cord factor analogues via the mitsunobu reaction

Treatment of trehalose with triphenylphosphine, diisopropyl azodicarboxylate and β- O-tetrahydropyran-2-ylmycolic acid in 1:1 hexamethylphosphoric triamide/dichloromethane, followed by removal of the tetrahydropyranyl protecting group, gave cord factor (1) in good yield, under exceptionally mild conditions. Two new cord factor analogues were similarly prepared from β- O-methylmycolic acid and from the α,β-unsaturated ‘anhydro’ mycolic acid respectively. The procedure, employing excess trehalose, can also be used for the synthesis of trehalose monomycolates in good yield. No protection of the carbohydrate is required.

ChemInform Abstract: Syntheses of Trehalose Monomycolate and Related Compounds, and Their Lethal Toxicity and Adjuvant Activity.

Chemischer InformationsdienstVolume 17, Issue 37 Natural Products ChemInform Abstract: Syntheses of Trehalose Monomycolate and Related Compounds, and Their Lethal Toxicity and Adjuvant Activity. F. NUMATA, F. NUMATASearch for more papers by this authorH. ISHIDA, H. ISHIDASearch for more papers by this authorK. NISHIMURA, K. NISHIMURASearch for more papers by this authorI. SEKIKAWA, I. SEKIKAWASearch for more papers by this authorI. AZUMA, I. AZUMASearch for more papers by this author F. NUMATA, F. NUMATASearch for more papers by this authorH. ISHIDA, H. ISHIDASearch for more papers by this authorK. NISHIMURA, K. NISHIMURASearch for more papers by this authorI. SEKIKAWA, I. SEKIKAWASearch for more papers by this authorI. AZUMA, I. AZUMASearch for more papers by this author First published: September 16, 1986 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.198637306AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume17, Issue37September 16, 1986 RelatedInformation

Requirement of glucose for mycolic acid biosynthetic activity localized in the cell wall of Bacterionema matruchotii

When the localization of mycolic acid biosynthetic activity was examined with Bacterionema matruchotii cells disrupted by the ultrasonic vibration method, activity was detected only in the cell wall fraction, not in the inner membrane nor in the 78,000 g supernatant. Either the supernatant or sugar was absolutely required for the incorporation of [ 14C]palmitate into mycolic acids. Among sugars examined, glucose was most effective, with maltose being second. Unexpectedly, trehalose was inert. As to substrate, the present system utilized free palmitic acid rather than palmitoyl-CoA. The reaction products from palmitate and glucose were glucose mycolate and trehalose monomycolate, in which the label from [ 14C]palmitate or [ 14C]glucose was incorporated. Glucose palmitate was also formed. Addition of trehalose resulted in a shift from glucose mycolate to trehalose monomycolate. These data clearly indicate that sugars play an important role in the synthesis of mycolic acids from free fatty acids.

Syntheses of Trehalose Monomycolate and Related Compounds, and Their Lethal Toxicity and Adjuvant Activity

Abstract Five monoesters, 6-O-mycoloyl-α, α-treha lose (TMM), 6-O-mycoloyl-D-glucose (GlcM), 6-O-mycoloyl-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAcM), 5-O-mycoloyl-D-arabinose (AraM) and 6-O-mycoloyl-D-galactose (GalM), were synthesized by use of mycolic acid isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain Aoyama B. Their toxicity and macrophage activating ability were examined in mice. A single intravenous administration of 400 μg of TMM in 9% oil-in-water emulsion killed 8 of 8 treated mice. The other analogs showed less lethal toxicity to mice at the same dose. Tumoricidal activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages was induced by intraperitoneal injection of TMM, GlcM, and GlcNAcM, respectively.

Mass-spectrometric identification of trehalose 6-monomycolate synthesized by the cell-free system of Bacterionema matruchotii

The fluffy layer fraction prepared from Bacterionema matruchotii was found to possess high activity for the biosynthesis of mycolic acids which were bound to an unknown compound by an alkali-labile linkage [ T. Shimakata, M. Iwaki, and T. Kusaka (1984) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 229, 329–339 ]. To determine the structure of the mycolate-containing compound, it was purified and analyzed by field desorption (FD) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SI-MS). When non-labelled palmitic acid was used as a precursor in the in vitro biosynthetic system, the underivatized product had a cationized molecular ion, [M+Na] +, at m z 843 in FD-MS and a protonated ion, [M+H] +, at m z 821 in SI-MS, corresponding to the quasimolecular ion of trehalose monomycolate (C 32:0). In SI-MS, characteristic fragment ions due to cleavage of glycosidic linkages were clearly detected in addition to the molecular ion. If [1- 13C]palmitic acid was the precursor, 2 mass unit increases in both the quasimolecular and fragment ions were observed, indicating that two molecules of palmitate were incorporated into the product. α-Trehalose was found in the aqueous phase after saponification of the product. By the electron impact mass spectrometry of the trimethylsilylated product, the mycolate was found to be esterified with an hydroxyl group at position 6 of the trehalose molecule. These results clearly demonstrated that the predominant product synthesized by the fluffy layer fraction with palmitate as substrate was 6-monomycolate (C 32:0) of α- d-trehalose. Because newly synthesized mycolic acid was mainly in the form of trehalose monomycolate instead of free mycolate or trehalose dimycolate, the role of trehalose in the biosynthesis of mycolic acid is discussed.

Synthesis of trehalose dimycolate (cord factor) by a cell-free system of [formula omitted

A 105,000 x g residue fraction of Mycobacterium smegmatis contains an enzyme (acyl transferase) that transfers endogenous mycolic acid to trehalose monomycolate to yield trehalose dimycolate. This enzyme activity is stable to repeated freezing and thawing and is unaffected by the antimycobacterial drug, ethambutol. These results show that trehalose monomycolate is a direct precursor of trehalose dimycolate and suggest the presence of activated mycolic acids (acyl donor) in the cell-free system.

Effects of ethambutol on accumulation and secretion of trehalose mycolates and free mycolic acid in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

We examined the early effects of ethambutol on the synthesis of trehalose monomycolate, trehalose dimycolate, and free mycolic acid in actively growing cells of Mycobacterium smegmatis. At about 1 min after the addition of 3.0 micrograms of ethambutol per ml, the cellular level of trehalose monomycolate began to increase over the control culture. This was followed 8 to 12 min later by the cellular increases in free mycolic acid and trehalose dimycolate over the control culture and the inhibition of incorporation of mycolic acid into the cell wall. Exposure of M. smegmatis to ethambutol for more than 30 min caused all of these lipids to leak out of the cells more rapidly than in the control cells. The mechanism by which ethambutol initiates these events is unknown, but these early imbalances in lipid synthesis may be responsible for the lethal action of this drug.