title: Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare chromatotypes defined by curvilinear gradient HPLC of mycolic acids.
abstract: Seventy-nine strains of Mycobacterium avium complex bacteria (MAC), previously characterized by genetic probe analysis, were assayed using two methods of reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) that employed curvilinear gradients. Although different in column length and cycle time, the methods produced equivalent results, yielding seven distinct chromatographic patterns (chromatotypes) of M. avium and M. intracellulare based on the ratio of mycolate concentrations in the late vs. the middle of three peak clusters (L:M ratio). The M. avium strains (n = 36) were assigned to chromatotypes 1 through 4 (L:M ratios less than 3), and the M. intracellulare strains (n = 25) to chromatotypes 5 through 7 (L:M ratios greater than 4). Of 18 Mycobacterium 'X' strains, seven resembled M. avium, seven others resembled M. intracellulare, and four were intermediate between M. avium and M. intracellulare.
authors.affiliation: California Department of Health Services, Microbial Diseases Laboratory, Berkeley 94704.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Duffey
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Guthertz
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D009171:Mycolic Acids