Characterization of the trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate surface monolayer by scanning tunneling microscopy.

The toxicity of trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate (TDM), a glycolipid of mycobacteria, requires presentation as a surface monolayer. Our model of the structure of the TDM monolayer was confirmed and extended by scanning tunneling microscopy. It consists of linear arrays with a periodicity of approximately 90 A (9 nm) that clustered in groups of four to form secondary structures with a periodicity of 360 A (36 nm).