title: The scent of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
abstract: Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) kills nearly 2 million people annually, yet rapid diagnosis still relies on a 100-year-old method of sputum staining for acid-fast bacilli. The advent of solid phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry makes it possible to systematically investigate whether volatile metabolites from organisms belonging to the genus Mycobacterium can be used as a rapid and highly selective alternative to the traditional diagnostic methods. We have identified four specific compounds (methyl phenylacetate, methyl p-anisate, methyl nicotinate and o-phenylanisole) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis cultures grown in vitro that are distinctive volatile markers. These compounds are detectable before the visual appearance of colonies, potentially useful as the basis of a non-invasive diagnostic test for TB and have characteristic odors.
authors.affiliation: University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Pathology, 2 Riccarton Avenue, P.O. Box 4345, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand. mona.syhre@otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Syhre
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000840:Anisoles / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001565:Benzoates / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000737:chemistry*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000737:chemistry*; D009539:Nicotinic Acids / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: C539392:2-phenylanisole; D000840:Anisoles; D001565:Benzoates; D015415:Biomarkers; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D009539:Nicotinic Acids; D010648:Phenylacetates; C539391:methyl 4-anisate; C008473:methyl nicotinate; C024906:methyl phenylacetate