title: Lipids of 'Mycobacterium habana', a synonym of Mycobacterium simiae with vaccine potential.
abstract: 'Mycobacterium habana' was proposed as a distinct species within the genus Mycobacterium; however, it is actually a synonym of Mycobacterium simiae and included in the serotype I of this species. The potential use of 'M. habana' as a vaccine in both leprosy and tuberculosis has led to the analysis of its lipid composition in an attempt to define distinctive markers that could be used in the quality control of true strains of this bacterium. Lipids of taxonomic value (fatty and mycolic acids) are similar in 'M. habana' and M. simiae; nevertheless, they clearly differ on the basis of glycopeptidolipid (GPL) composition. Thus, contrary to M. simiae, most strains of 'M. habana' can be defined by the presence of three polar compounds, designated GPL-I, GPL-II and GPL-III, easily determined by thin-layer chromatography, and characterized, respectively, by the content of l-fucose, 2,4-di-O-Me-d-glucuronic acid, and 4-O-Me-d-glucuronic acid, as epitopes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Nacional de Referencias e Investigaciones de Tuberculosis y Micobacterias, Centro Colaborador OMS/OPS, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí (IPK), La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mederos
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Valdivia
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Valero-Guillén
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000517:prevention & control; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006017:Glycolipids; D008055:Lipids; D009171:Mycolic Acids; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines