The Preparation and Properties of Aqueous Suspensions of Oil-Coated Tubercle Bacilli

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Abstract
Summary: Aqueous suspensions of mycobacteria were prepared in which all the organisms were within minute droplets of paraffin oil. Mycobacteria within oil droplets exhibit changes in acidfastness that do not occur if the oil is removed with ether before staining. Oil-coating appears to retard the penetration of carbolfuchsin as well as its egress during decolorization. The property of acid-fastness is independent of the cell surface. Organisms enclosed within paraffin oil droplets are rapidly agglutinated by electrolytes by the same mechanism as are untreated mycobacteria of the same strain. Complement fixation reactions show that paraffin oil droplets containing tubercle bacilli combine with specific antiserum to the same extent as plain organisms. These observations indicate that materials determining the surface properties of mycobacteria, as well as antigenic substances of tubercle bacilli, are present at the surface of oil droplets containing the organisms. The hypothesis is suggested that substances derived from the surface of mycobacteria migrate through the oil layer and reach the surface of the oil droplets.

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