Two-dimensional gas chromatography with electron capture detection for the sensitive determination of specific mycobacterial lipid constituents.
A method was developed for determining two characteristic mycobacterial lipid constituents, tuberculostearic acid (as its pentafluorobenzyl ester) and 2-eicosanol (as its pentafluorobenzoyl ester), by using gas chromatography with electron capture detection. A microprocessor-controlled column-switching system (two-dimensional gas chromatography) facilitated sample preparation and increased specificity. The usefulness of the technique was illustrated by its ability to reveal picogram amounts of tuberculostearate in a suspension of Mycobacterium leprae isolated from a naturally infected armadillo. Two-dimensional gas chromatography with electron capture detection may in some instances provide a convenient alternative to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for use in demonstrating the presence of mycobacteria in a complex environment.
Larsson
L
L
Department of Medical Microbiology, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
Jimenez
J
J
Sonesson
A
A
Portaels
F
F
D000818:Animals; D001135:Armadillos / Q000382:microbiology; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000032:analysis*; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000032:analysis; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000032:analysis; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000032:analysis
D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D008055:Lipids; D013229:Stearic Acids; C046799:2-eicosanol; C026082:tuberculostearic acid