Cholesterol metabolism increases the metabolic pool of propionate in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis can metabolize cholesterol to both acetate and propionate. The mass of isolated phthiocerol dimycoserate, a methyl-branched fatty acylated polyketide, was used as a reporter for intracellular propionate metabolic flux. When M. tuberculosis is grown using cholesterol as the only source of carbon, a 42 amu increase in average phthiocerol dimycoserate molecular weight is observed, consistent with the cellular pool of propionate and, thus, methylmalonyl CoA increasing upon cholesterol metabolism. In contrast, no shift in phthiocerol dimycoserate molecular weight is observed upon supplementation of medium containing glycerol and glucose with cholesterol. We conclude that cholesterol is a significant source of propionate only in the absence of sugar carbon sources.

• Authors: Xinxin Yang, Natasha M Nesbitt, Eugenie Dubnau, Issar Smith, Nicole S Sampson
• Journal: Biochemistry (Biochemistry) Vol. 48 Issue 18 Pg. 3819-21 (May 12 2009) ISSN: 1520-4995 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19364125 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Culture Media
• Propionates
• Cholesterol

Topics

• Animals
• Cholesterol (metabolism)
• Culture Media
• Mass Spectrometry
• Mice
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (metabolism)
• Propionates (metabolism)