title: Chemical composition of the cell wall of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
abstract: The cell wall of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated and freed of extraneous noncovalently linked material by a series of extraction and enzymatic procedures. Chemical analysis of the cell wall has revealed the following composition: 22.8% amino acids, principally alanine, glutamate, and diaminopimelate in a molar ratio of 1:1.8:0.8; 24.7% reducing sugars, all in the form of arabinose and galactose in a molar ratio of 2.6:1; and 3.95% amino sugars, all in the form of glucosamine, muramic acid, and galactosamine in a molar ratio of 1:6.6:0.8. About 32.1% of the dry weight of the cell wall is lipid, of this about 55% is in the form of two series of mycolic acids. Each series of mycolic acids contains two homologues differing by 28 mass units. One pair of homologues contains in each a carbonyl function and an unsaturated double bond; the other pair contains two cyclopropane groups in each homologue. The remaining lipids are composed principally of normal saturated fatty acids, including tuberculostearic acid.
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000032:analysis; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D000606:Amino Sugars / Q000032:analysis*; D001089:Arabinose / Q000032:analysis; D001322:Autoanalysis; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000032:analysis*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005690:Galactose / Q000032:analysis; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000032:analysis; D005971:Glutamates / Q000032:analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000032:analysis*; D010209:Paper; D010867:Pimelic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000606:Amino Sugars; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005971:Glutamates; D008055:Lipids; D009005:Monosaccharides; D010867:Pimelic Acids; D001089:Arabinose; D005944:Glucosamine; D000409:Alanine; D005690:Galactose