Mycobacterial lipids: selected topics.

Lipoproteins in bacteria: structures and biosynthetic pathways

“…The neutral losses in the MS/MS spectra clearly suggest that the 19 : 0 fatty acid is at the R1 position and the 16 : 0 fatty acid is at the R2 position, although the exact positional distribution was not noted [30]. This interpretation of the MS/MS spectra is consistent with the previously reported positional distribution of fatty acids in mycobacterial phospholipids: 18 : 0, 18 : 1 and 19 : 0-branched (tuberculostearic acid) at sn-1 and 16 : 0 and 16 : 1-branched at sn-2 [45]. Another M. tuberculosis lipoprotein, LprF, expressed in M. smegmatis, was triacylated with the identical fatty acids to LppX but was also probably O-glycosylated with hexose at a serine or threonine residue [44].…”

“…Recently, Lnt orthologues of M. smegmatis, M. tuberculosis and S. scabies were also reported to have N-acyltransferase activity [30,46]. Unexpectedly, the above mentioned N-acylated fatty acid species of lipoproteins in M. smegmatis and the positional distribution of fatty acids in mycobacterial phospholipids [45] indicated that the substrate for M. smegmatis Lnt should be from the sn-2 position of phospholipids. This specificity is different from that of E. coli Lnt, which incorporates fatty acids at the sn-1 position to diacyl lipoproteins [76].…”

Mycobacterial virulence factors

“…biological activities (Goren 1982), including lethal toxicity for mice, but their role in virulence has tended to be discounted (Grange 1985) because they are found in both virulent and saprophytic species of mycobacteria (Goren 1972). Mycobacterial sulpholipid also has been considered as a virulence determinant.…”

Differentiation of Mycobacterial Species by Investigation of Petroleum Ether‐Soluble Sulfolipids Using Thin‐Layer Chromatography after Incubation with [35S]Sulfate

“…Rapidly growing, scotochromogenic mycobacteria, except for M. flavescens, showed no marked radioactive spots ( Table 2). (2), and Goren (1). However, sulfolipids of other mycobacteria do not seem to have been studied as yet and the biological significance of sulfolipids of mycobacteria is still obscure (1).…”

“…(2), and Goren (1). However, sulfolipids of other mycobacteria do not seem to have been studied as yet and the biological significance of sulfolipids of mycobacteria is still obscure (1). Previously, we studied the sulfolipids of rapidly growing, nonphotochromogenic mycobacteria by labeling sulfolipids with radioactive sulfur.…”