SULFOLIPID FROM VIRULENT TUBERCLE BACILLI

Abstract

The bacterial cells of pathogenic human and bovine varieties of Mycobacterium tuberculosis fix the dye, neutral red, to their surface while attenuated or avirulent mutant strains do not. Analysis of the material responsible for this is described and evidence presented that the material contains a high proportion of methyl groups suggestive of methyl-branched-chain fatty acids, it has few alcoholic hydroxyl groups, the infrared spectro-photometric absorption bands at 1020-1060 cm-1 and 1140-1200 cm-1 are consistent with those of a sulfonic acid, it lacks carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds and has no phthienoic type of fatty acid, and contains a prominent carboxylic acid ester absorption band and little or no free carboxylic acid. These studies and others made on other selected strains are described in detail.