Mycolic acid patterns of some rapidly-growing species of Mycobacterium.

Representative strains of some rapidly-growing species of Mycobacterium were degraded by both acid methanolysis and alkaline hydrolysis followed by phase-transfer catalysed conversion to methyl esters. Patterns of mycolic acids and other long-chain components were determined for 56 samples by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Representatives of Mycobacterium chitae contained epoxymycolates and alpha and alpha'-mycolates, lacking oxygen functions in addition to the 3-hydroxyacid unit; a previously recorded pattern of alpha,alpha'-, methoxy- and ketomycolates was confirmed for Mycobacterium thermoresistible. An unusual pattern of alpha-, alpha'-, methoxy- and minor possible ketomycolates was characteristic of Mycobacterium agri strains. Wax-ester and alpha-mycolates were present in all the remaining test strains, the former being observed as their omega-carboxymycolate and 2-alkanol degradation products. The principal remaining component corresponded to ketomycolates in extracts of Mycobacterium flavescens, Mycobacterium aichiense, Mycobacterium neoaurum, Mycobacterium rhodesiae, Mycobacterium tokaiense and five out of the seven Mycobacterium aurum strains. Such a pattern, but with reduced amounts of alpha-mycolates, was also found for Mycobacterium gadium and "Mycobacterium gallinarum". The above pattern, with the addition of alpha'-mycolates, was characteristic of Mycobacterium chubuense, Mycobacterium duvalii, Mycobacterium gilvum, Mycobacterium parafortuitum and two remaining strains of M. aurum. Representatives of Mycobacterium komossense had a characteristic pattern with components co-chromatographing with alpha-, methoxy-, keto- and omega-carboxymycolates and 2-alkanols. A number of unidentified polar components were recorded in certain chromatographic patterns.