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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology
Cholesteroid nature of free mycolic acids from M. tuberculosis
Chemistry and Physics of Lipids, Volume 152, No. 2, Year 2008
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Description
Mycolic acids (MAs) are a major component of the cell walls of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related organisms. These α-alkyl β-hydroxy long fatty acids have been the subject of numerous studies for their immunological properties. We previously reported that an interaction between cholesterol and mycolic acids could be responsible for the low accuracy in the serodiagnosis of TB when using free mycolic acid in an ELISA assay. The aim of this work was to investigate if this interaction could be due to a similarity in the structural properties between mycolic acids and cholesterol. The investigation revealed that patient sera cross-reacted with mycolic acids and cholesterol in an ELISA experiment suggesting that both molecules may present related functionality in a similar structural orientation. This relation was further supported by the interaction of mycolic acids with Amphotericin B (AmB), a known binding agent to ergosterol and cholesterol. Using a resonant mirror biosensor, we observed that AmB recognised both cholesterol and mycolic acids. In addition, a specific attraction was observed between mycolic acid and cholesterol by the accumulation of cholesterol from liposomes in suspension onto immobilized mycolic acids containing liposomes, detected with a biosensor technique. Combined, these results suggest that mycolic acids can assume a three-dimensional conformation similar to a sterol. This requires that mycolic acid exposes its hydroxyl group and assumes rigidity in its chain structure to generate a hydrophobic surface topology matching that of cholesterol. A particular folded conformation would be required for this, of which a few different types have already been proven to exist in monolayers of mycolic acids. © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Lemmer, Yolandy
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Deysel, Madrey
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Siko, D. Gilbert R.
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Roberts, Vanessa V.
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
van Wyngaardt, Sandra
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Thanyani, Simon T.
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Sekanka, Gianna
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Ten Bokum, Annemieke M.C.
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Collett, Lynne A.
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Grooten, Johan
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Baird, M. S.
United Kingdom, Bangor
Bangor University
Verschoor, Jan Adrianus
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Statistics
Citations: 38
Authors: 12
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2008.01.004
ISSN:
00093084
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Study Design
Case-Control Study
Study Approach
Quantitative