Comparison of Cytochromes in Mycobacteria Grown in Vitro and in Vivo

Abstract

metric investigations were made on cell suspensions or particulate fractions of four species of mycobacteria which had been cultivated in vitro. The results obtained indicated the presence in Mycobacterium smegmatis of cytochromes of the a, bi, and c types, as well as a CO-binding pigment similar to cytochrome o; in BCG and M. avium, cytochromes of the a, b, and c types were present; and, in M. paratuberculosis, cytochromes of the a, bi, and c types were present. Although no clear interrelations were evident between the cytochrome patterns of these organisms and the ease with which they can be cultivated in vitro, it was found that the total reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase activity of the particulate fraction was remarkably low in M. paratuberculosis, which can be grown in vitro only with great difficulty. The cells of BCG grown in vivo and those of M. lepraemurium isolated from leprous nodules of mice were found to be completely deficient in cytochrome pigments.

Intermediary metabolism of mycobacteria.

“…Recently in the laboratory of one of us, it has been possible to obtain a particulate fraction from M. smegmatis which oxidizes malate (by the nicotinamide nucleotide pathway) and shows coupled phosphorylation (296). The method consists in treating the cells with lysozyme, subjecting them to osmotic shock, and 217,380,408 sand or alumina, and CoA carboxylase; isolation of rihigh pressure disrupbosome and their proteosynthetic tion ability aAbbreviations: NADH, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced form); NADPH, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced form); NADase, nicotinamide adenine dinuclease; CoA, coenzyme A.…”

“…Cytochromes b, c, and a are common to all the species of mycobacteria grown in vitro, namely M. smegmatis, M. phlei, BCG, M. avium, M. tuberculosis H37Ra, and M. paratuberculosis (52, 188, 217). In addition to these cytochromes, M. smegmatis and M. phlei contain a carbon monoxide-binding pigment similar to cytochrome o (217,308). However, cytochromes could not be detected in BCG grown in vivo and in M. leprasmurium isolated from leprous nodules (217).…”

“…In addition to these cytochromes, M. smegmatis and M. phlei contain a carbon monoxide-binding pigment similar to cytochrome o (217,308). However, cytochromes could not be detected in BCG grown in vivo and in M. leprasmurium isolated from leprous nodules (217).…”

Biochemical challenge of microbial pathogenicity.

“…Woods and Foster (116) have discussed the almost complete lack of knowledge of bacterial metabolism in vivo and the reasons why it probably differs from metabolism in vitro. The metabolism of Bacillus anthracis in vivo is different from that in vitro (110), and, although observations in vitro on the metabolism of bacteria isolated directly from infected animals will not detect all aspects of metabolism in vivo (116), such observations on tubercle bacilli (15,69,107), plague bacilli (40), staphylococci (12), and streptococci (44) indicated marked differences in metabolism between these organisms and those grown in vitro. These observations should be extended, because knowledge of microbial metabolism in vivo might be important not only in studies of virulence but for the design of new antibacterial drugs.…”