STUDIES ON THE METABOLISM OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS IV

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Abstract
It was found by using a wide range of concns. of a number of fatty acids in a simple chemically-defined medium that, with the exception of formic acid, the fatty acids used support growth of virulent human type tubercle bacilli to varying degrees. There is only a narrow range of concns. of each fatty acid which can support growth. The lower fatty acids support growth of the organisms more readily than the higher fatty acids. Caprylic and capric acids stimulate the rate of growth to a degree similar to that found in the presence of 2.0% glycerol. Among those fatty acids having 12 C atoms or less, an inverse relation-ship appears to exist between molecular wt. and the concn. of fatty acid which can stimulate growth.