title: Structure of the major triglycosyl phenol-phthiocerol of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (strain Canetti).
abstract: Phenol-phthiocerol glycolipids have been found previously in Mycobacterium leprae, M. kansasii, M. bovis and M. marinum, but not in M. tuberculosis. A search for glycolipids in this latter species showed that the Canetti strains of M. tuberculosis synthesize a major triglycosyl phenol-phthiocerol, accompanied by minor amounts of other glycolipids with a similar aglycone moiety. The triglycoside moiety has the following structure: 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl L-fucopyranosyl(alpha 1----3)L-rhamnopyranosyl(alpha 1----3)2-O-methyl L-rhamnopyranosyl(alpha 1-. The aglycone moiety consists in phenol-phthiocerol (two homologs). Its two secondary alcohol functions are esterified by mycocerosic acids (homologs with 26-32 carbon atoms and with 2-4 methyl branches). The proposed structure differs on several points from the M. leprae glycolipids, but presents some analogy with the major glycolipid of M. kansasii. A minor monoglycosyl phenol-phthiocerol was also studied. Its overall structure is very similar to that of M. bovis, with 2-O-methyl rhamnose as sugar moiety.
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000032:analysis*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000032:analysis*; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; D014312:Trisaccharides