Abstract
Multimethyl-branched acids extracted from the cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis BCG were identified by combined capillary gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. These mycocerosic acids consisted of the products expected from elongation of n-C18 and n-C20 primers with methylmalonyl-CoA. A soluble enzyme preparation from M. tuberculosis var. bovis BCG incorporated methylmalonyl-CoA into mycocerosic acids. This incorporation was partially dependent on the addition of arachidoyl-CoA and this primer affected product distribution, indicating elongation of the primer. Maximal incorporation of methylmalonyl-CoA required the presence of both NADPH and NADH together with ATP and Mg2+. Added CoA, FMN, acyl carrier protein, or bovine serum albumin had no effect on the activity in either the presence or absence of ATP and Mg2+. The pH optimum for mycocerosic acid synthesis was 6.2. Under these conditions, methylmalonyl-CoA was incorporated into very long acids which were identified as mycocerosic acids by radio gas-liquid chromatography.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2979-2985 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Biological Chemistry |
Volume | 258 |
Issue number | 5 |
State | Published - 1983 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology