THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF GLYCOLIPIDS AND MYCOLIC ACIDS FROM MYCOBACTERIUM-FARCINOGENES, MYCOBACTERIUM-SENEGALENSE AND RELATEDTAXA

Seventy-nine representative strains of Mycobacterium farcinogenes, Myc obacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium peregrinum and Mycobacterium seneg alense were analysed by thin-layer chromatography for diagnostic glyco lipid and mycolic acid patterns. On the basis of glycolipid patterns t he 16 M. senegalense strains were assigned to four groups (I, II, III and IV); one strain received as M. farcinogenes had glycolipids that c orresponded to those given by the M. senegalense group III strain. Rep resentatives of M. fortuitum produced alkali-labile glycolipids wherea s the M.peregrinum strains produced alkali-stable glycopeptidolipids r elated to those of M. senegalense group I. Members of M. senegalense g roups I, III and IV and the M. farcinogenes strains gave the character istic pattern consisting of alpha- and epoxymycolates on thin-layer ch romatographic analysis of the products of alkaline hydrolysis with 5% aqueous tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. Extraction of mycolates from the same strains using acid methanolysis revealed alpha-mycolates and cha racteristic more polar long-chain components originating from epoxymyc olates. In contrast, the M.senegalense group II strains contained an a dditional more polar omega-1 methoxymycolate that was detected from bo th acid and alkaline hydrolysates; this spot was also seen in some M. fortuitum and M. peregrinum strains. Preliminary investigations, using a combination of thin-layer chromatography and immunostaining, showed that glycopeptidolipids from M. peregrinum and M. senegalense group I strains were antigenic, a cross-reaction between members of these tax a was shown. In contrast, no reaction was detected between glycopeptid olipids extracted from M. peregrinum and M. senegalense group I strain s with antisera from either M. farcinogenes or M. fortuitum.