Mycolic acids (MAs) are a hallmark of the cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related species. Mycolic acids have a uniquely complex molecular structure and can be extracted using specific organic solvents (such as trehalose or glycerides) or by esterifying the pentaarabinofuranosyl units at the terminal of arabinogalactan (AG), forming the polysaccharide backbone of the insoluble cell wall and peptidoglycan. Both forms may play a crucial role in the unconventional structure and impermeability of the cell envelope, participating in the two leaflets of the mycobacterial outer membrane, also referred to as the mycomembrane, which can be observed using an electron microscope. This concept applies to Corynebacterium glutamicum, a genus that exhibits many features of the mycobacterial cell envelope, notably present within the mycolic acid-containing outer membrane.
Mycolic Acid Analysis
Strains of coryneform bacteria can survive without mycolic acids, and in mutant strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum lacking mycolic acids, the outer membrane is unobservable. Since inhibiting the synthesis of mycolic acids is one of the primary actions of isoniazid (INH), the most effective anti-tuberculosis drug, there has been widespread interest in deciphering the chemistry and biosynthesis of mycolic acids. Especially with the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR), multidrug-resistant (MDR), and totally drug-resistant (TDR) tuberculosis, the metabolic pathway of mycolic acids is a valuable resource for discovering potential targets for the development of novel anti-mycobacterial drugs. Additionally, compounds containing mycolic acids are associated not only with many physiological properties of mycobacteria but also with various biological properties, such as the antitumor capability of purified natural cell walls.
Significant progress has been made in the development of the biochemical properties, structure, genetics, and regulation of mycolic acids, including the discovery of new roles of mycolic acids, such as the formation of foamy macrophages in tuberculous granulomas and biofilm formation.
Based on a highly stable, reproducible, and sensitive system for separation, characterization, identification, and quantitative analysis, Biotech Biopark offers reliable, fast, and cost-effective mycolic acid analysis services in combination with LC-MS/MS.
