Glycolipids, of acid-fast bacteria

The carbohydrates found in the glycolipids of acid-fast bacteria are either very common sugars, such as D-arabinose, D-glucose, D-mannose, or a, trehalose, or are rare 0-methylated deoxyhexoses. Table I gives a survey of the carbohydrates found in the glycolipids considered in the present article. 

The polysaccharides of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were reviewed some years ago by Stacey and Kent.  

The lipid moiety of the glycolipids under consideration is either composed of branched-chain fatty acids (for example, mycolic acids in cord factor and in wax D) or can be a wax formed by the union of a phenolic alcohol with branched-chain fatty acids of the mycocerosic acid type, as in mycosides A and B. In the phosphoglycolipids, simple normal fatty acids have been found, accompanied by some methyl branched acids. 

Four principal types of glycolipid will be considered in the present review (1) cord factor (2) wax D (3) type-specific mycosides and (4) phosphoglycolipids. All recent work on these compounds is a development of the excellent work of Anderson and his school, published between 1926 and 1946. 

Of all the acid-fast bacteria, Mycobacteria have been studied most extensively thus, most of our knowledge of glycolipids concerns Mycobacteria, and only occasional mention of Coiynebacteria or other acid-fast micro-organisms can be found. 

---

Lederer, E., Glycolipids of Acid-fast Bacteria, 16, 207-238 Lemieux, R. U., Some Implications in Carbohydrate Chemistry of Theories Relating to the Mechanisms of Replacement Reactions, 9, 1-57 Lemieux, R. U., and Wolfrom, M. L., The Chemistry of Streptomycin, 3, 337-384... 

III. Biological Activities of Glycolipids of Acid-fast Bacteria. 230... 

Our knowledge of the chemistry and biological activities of glycolipids of acid-fast bacteria is fairly recent it is only in the last few years that several of these compounds have been isolated in a pure state and that their chemical structure has been more or less fully elucidated. Separation in a pure state has only been possible through the application of chromatographic methods, and structural determinations have been greatly facilitated by infrared spectrometry. 

---