Abstract
Six hundred gram portions of ground, defatted human type (H37) tubercle bacilli 21 were percolated with dilute acetic acid containing 0.5% of phenol until the neutralized effluent no longer reacted strongly with antiserum. The solutions were concentrated to small bulk in vacuo and precipitated with several volumes of alcohol. Further fractionation involved precipitation with glacial acetic acid, with alkali and alcohol, removal of the glycogen with saliva, removal of material precipitable with barium hydroxide (phosphates and a fraction [A]), separation of the residue into 3 main portions, (B1) soluble in 85% methyl alcohol; (B2) soluble in 75-85% methyl alcohol, and (C) insoluble in 75% methyl alcohol. Each portion was further purified by fractionation with glacial acetic acid or by special procedures which will be described in a more detailed communication. Fractions B1 and B2 are perhaps identical. Properties of the fractions are given in Tables I and II.
It is evident that at least two specific polysaccharides are present, each reacting with different antibodies. One of these, with the high optical rotation and low degree of acidity, resembles the chief polysaccharide of the bovine and avian type cells (unpublished results) and is perhaps identical throughout the whole group. It yields d-arabinose and mannose on hydrolysis. The low-rotating, weak polysaccharide acid of greater solubility is present, if at all, in far smaller amount in the bovine and avian type cells. It readily yields d-arabinose in crystalline form on hydrolysis. Mannose does not appear to be present. In addition the bacilli contain at least one other polysaccharide acid.
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