STUDIES ON MYCOBACTERIA: I. CYTOCHEMICAL STUDY AND CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LIPIDS OF MYCOBACTERIUM MARIANUM
Several authors have reported that the composition of the lipids of the tubercle bacillus varies with the type and composition of the culture media. Major differences may therefore exist between the bacillary lipids of bacilli growing on culture media and those of such microorganisms parasitizing a host.The present paper deals with the cytochemical and chemical analyses of Mycobacterium marianum, which is, to our knowledge, the first strain of Mycobacterium to be stained by the Sudan black B method when grown on Sauton's medium. Details on the isolation and fractionation of several lipid fractions of Mycobacterium marianum are presented together with some of their properties. The results are discussed in relation to our working hypothesis that the chemical composition of Mycobacterium marianum grown under our conditions may resemble more closely that of bacilli growing in vivo than do most cultured mycobacteria.