The Mycolic Acids of Mycobacterium chelonei

Abstract
Two-dimensional TLC of whole-organism acid methanolysates of M. chelonei gives a characteristic pattern of 2 non-polar mycolic acid methyl esters, which allows the organism to be distinguished from all other mycobacteria including M. fortuitum. The mycolic acids from M. chelonei were composed of approximately equal amounts of a diunsaturated .alpha.-mycolate and a lower MW .alpha.''-mycolate, though minor amounts of a different .alpha.-mycolate were also detected. These mycolic acids are the 1st examples of natural mixtures from mycobacteria lacking major amounts of acids having O2 functions in addition to the 3-hydroxy acid unit.