title: Distribution of phthiocerol diester, phenolic mycosides and related compounds in mycobacteria.
abstract: Among 28 mycobacterial species studied, only Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, M. marinum, M. kansasii, M. gastri and M. ulcerans produced waxes yielding long-chain beta-diol components (called phthiocerol and companions) and polymethyl-branched fatty acids on saponification. The same mycobacterial species also produced diesters of phenol phthiocerol and companions. Fatty acids esterifying these fatty alcohols in M. marinum and M. ulcerans were found to belong to the phthioceranic series (dextrorotatory fatty acids), in contrast to those of the other species (laevorotatory fatty acids called mycocerosic acids), both groups having the same chain length and methyl-branched positions. M. kansasii and M. gastri contained the same waxes with identical structures, as did M. tuberculosis, M. bovis and M. africanum. Neither the type strain of M. tuberculosis, nor that of M. bovis or M. marinum accumulated the strain-specific phenolic glycolipids.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires du CNRS, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daffé
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Laneelle
mesh_terms: D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D008055:Lipids; D009159:Mycobacteriaceae / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014885:Waxes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D008055:Lipids; D014885:Waxes; C008901:phthiocerol dimycocerosate