Thin-layer chromatography of sulfolipids as an aid to classification and identification of rapidly growing, nonphotochromogenic mycobacteria

Differentiation of mycobacterial species by investigation of petroleum ether-soluble sulfolipids using thin-layer chromatography after incubation with [35S]sulfate

The method of detecting petroleum ether-soluble sulfolipids by thin-layer chromatography after incubation with [35S]sulfate is useful for differentiation between mycobacterial species. Rapidly growing mycobacteria, including two subspecies of Mycobacterium chelonei, were differentiated by this method. Most species of slowly growing mycobacteria were characterized by the pattern of distribution of radioactive sulfolipids in the thin-layer chromatograms. Mycobacterium nonchromogenicum was clearly differentiated from Mycobacterium terrae and Mycobacterium triviale by the presence of a sulfolipid. The latter two did not contain any significant amount of sulfolipids. Mycobacterium avium contained a large amount of sulfolipids, whereas Mycobacterium scrofulaceum did not contain any detectable sulfolipid. Rapidly growing, scotochromogenic mycobacteria, except for Mycobacterium flavescens, did not contain any remarkable amounts of sulfolipids.

Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness among species of rapidly growing mycobacteria

The DNA-DNA homology percentages obtained in this study indicate M. smegmatis, M. phlei, M. fortuitum, M. peregrinum, M. senegalense, M. farcinogenes, M. chelonei, M. parafortuitum, M. vaccae, M. diernhoferi and M. aurum are separate species. Taxonomically there is no justification for the designation M. fortuitum complex, and M. peregrinum should be revived as an independent species. The type strains of M. parafortuitum, M. vaccae, M. aurum and the non-valid M. diernhoferi are so distinct from each other that they should not be combined.