Gas chromatographic characterization of mycobacteria: analysis of fatty acids and trifluoroacetylated whole-cell methanolysates

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Abstract
Mycobacterium avium, M. bovis strain BCG, M. kansasii and M. tuberculosis were studied by GLC. Methylated fatty acids of the myocbacterial lipids and trifluoroacetyl (TFA) derivatives of whole-cell methanolysates were analyzed. The fatty acid and the TFA chromatograms showed reproducible differences between the various mycobacteria studied. Chromatograms from different strains of the same species showed negligible differences. Fatty acid methyl esters and TFA methyl glycosides are probably the main constituents of the TFA chromatograms. TFA derivatives are easily prepared and the method provides a potential tool for species identification of myocbacteria.