Relationships between structure and biological activity of the mycolic acid-containing glycolipids from Nocardia asteroides "sensu stricto" and related species.

Abstract

To reveal the taxonomical situation of Nocardia asteroides "sensu stricto", we compared the mycolic acid and mycolic acid-containing glycolipid composition and their granulomagenic activities in mice. The major glycolipids were glucose mono- and dimycolate, trehalose mono- and dimycolate and several unknown glycolipids, commonly, although the relative amount differed from strain to strains. On the other hand, molecular species composition of mycolic acids differed distinctively among the three closely related species: N. asteroides "sensu strico", N. farcinica and N. nova. GC/MS analysis showed the most abundant species of mycolic acids were C50(52) in N. asteroides, C54(52) in N. farcinica and C58(56) in N. nova, respectively with a different alpha-alkyl branch. Glucose mycolate and trehalose dimycolate possessing C50 mycolic acid showed a strong activity for granuloma formation in mice.

• Authors: Y Han, H He, S Oka, I Yano
• Journal: Acta leprologica (Acta Leprol) Vol. 7 Suppl 1 Pg. 130-2 ( 1989) ISSN: 0001-5938 [Print] Switzerland
• PMID: 2503969 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Glycolipids
• Mycolic Acids

Topics

• Animals
• Glycolipids (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Granuloma (chemically induced)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred ICR
• Mycolic Acids (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Nocardia asteroides (analysis, classification)
• Species Specificity
• Structure-Activity Relationship