Competency of human-derivedMycobacterium lepraeto use palmitic acid in the synthesis of phenolic glycolipid-I and phthiocerol dimycocerosate and to release C0₂in axenic culture

Abstract

Insufficient numbers of viable My cobacterium leprae have hampered metabolic studies using human-derived M. leprae. In this study, sufficient numbers of M. leprae were obtained from an untreated lepromatous patient to titrate the effects of pH on the metabolism of 14C-palmitic acid by M. leprae.Catabolic metabolism (oxidation of 14C-palmitic acid and release of 14C0 2 ) was maximal when M. leprae were incubated at 33°C and suspended in Middlebrook 7H9, ADC supplemented medium that had been buffered to maintain a pH of 4·8. Anabolic metabolism (synthesis of 14C-phenolic glycolipid-I and its precursor, 14C-phthiocerol dimycocerosate) was maximal when the pH was maintained at 6·8.0305-751 8/92/063 101 +07 $0 1 .00 © Lepra tOJ