title: [Chemical structure of mycobacterial cell wall].
abstract: The immunostimulant properties of mycobacterial cell walls have led to a thorough study of their structure and to isolation of their components. The backbone of the mycobacterial cell wall is of a covalent structure ("covalent skeleton") made up of two polymers covalently linked by phosphodiester linkages: a arabinogalactan mycolate and a peptidoglycan. To this covalent structure are attached, in a rather ill defined manner, proteins or lipoproteins and, in pathogenic and most vaccinating strains, a partly amidated poly-alpha-L-glutamic acid. The mycobacterial cell wall also contains about 25% of free lipids, i.e. lipids which can be extracted by neutral solvents.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000032:analysis; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000032:analysis; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D009171:Mycolic Acids; D010457:Peptidoglycan
vernacular_title: Structure chimique de la paroi des mycobactéries.