Diglycosyl phenol phthiocerol diester of Mycobacterium leprae.

A diglycosyl phenol phthiocerol diester that had not been previously detected was isolated from M. leprae-infected armadillo tissues. Spectroscopy methods allowed the elucidation of its structure. The diglycoside was a 2,3-di-O-methylrhamnopyranosyl (alpha 1----2)3-O-methylrhamnopyranosyl (alpha 1-linked to the phenolic hydroxyl of phthiocerol dimycocerosates). It differs from the major phenolic glycolipid (PGL I) only by the absence of the terminal 3,6-di-O-methylglucopyranosyl unit. The diglycoside could be an intermediate in the synthesis of the latter antigen or a degradative product in the host detoxification process.