Surface peptido-glycolipid filaments on Mycobacterium leprae.

  • 1 October 1971
    • journal article
    • Vol. 9  (4) , 539-47
Abstract
Mycobacterium leprae was shown to possess a superficial network of filaments fundamentally identical with the adjuvant active peptido-glycolipid filaments present on all other mycobacteria, and in biologically active wax D derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related organisms. Differences between the filaments seen on M. leprae recovered from human lepromatous tissue and those demonstrated on mycobacteria grown in artificial culture are attributed to the effect of prolonged intracellular existence in a host phagocyte and are given as evidence of sensitivity of peptido-glycolipid to the action of intracellular enzymes.