Absence of mycobactin in Mycobacterium leprae; probably a microbe dependent microorganism implications.

Ferric mycobactins were prepared from Mycobacterium phlei. Mycobacterium avium--intracellulare A and H, isolated respectively from armadillo and human leprosy specimens. Attempts were made to extract mycobactin from host grown M. leprae cells. The crude ferric mycobactin extracts were tested for growth supporting effect on the mycobactin dependent M. paratuberculosis strain ATCC 19698. Mycobactins prepared from M. phlei and the two M. avium--intracellulare strains had growth promoting effect on M. paratuberculosis. The same test organism did not grow in media supplemented with the extract prepared from M. leprae. Results indicate the absence of mycobactin from host grown M. leprae. Since M. leprae cells contain cytochrome c and since mycobactin is essential to growth of all mycobacteria, M. leprae might be considered as a microbe dependent microbe. It is proposed that secondary mycobacteria present in M. leprae infected humans and armadillos might provide mycobactin for in vivo multiplication of M. leprae.