Water soluble complexes of C14 and C16 fatty acids and alcohols in media for cultivation of leprosy-derived psychrophilic mycobacteria.

Host-grown Mycobacterium leprae cell suspensions oxidized water-soluble complexes of palmitic acid, myristic acid, cetyl alcohol, and myristyl alcohol prepared with randomly methylated-beta-cyclodextrin as host molecules. Gas chromatography analysis showed that the water-soluble complexes retained their chemical structure following sterilization in the autoclave. Bioavailability of the two long-chain fatty acids and the corresponding long-chain alcohols was confirmed by Warburg manometric techniques with host-grown M. leprae cell suspensions. Inoculated with host-grown M. leprae cells in chemically well-defined, simple liquid and agar media, acid-fast bacilli were cultivable in primary cultures and subcultures at 10 degrees C with (NH4)2SO4 as the N source and water-soluble palmitic acid, myristic acid, cetyl alcohol or myristyl alcohol as the C and potent energy sources. M. phlei oxidized the complexed palmitic acid and myristic acid but not cetyl alcohol or myristyl alcohol. On agar media with any of these four carbon sources and (NH4)2SO4 but not ammonium thioglycolate as the N source, M. phlei grew abundantly at 36 degrees C. In liquid media only myristyl alcohol supported growth of M. phlei without any growth with palmitic acid, cetyl alcohol or myristic acid. The leprosy-derived, cold-loving cultures ("M. psychrophilum") were not fully tested for classification and identification. The cells are strongly acid-fast facultative psychrophiles, adapted in subcultures to mesophilic growth. They grow in chemically well-defined media with 14 and 16 C long-chain fatty acids or alcohols as the C and energy sources. None of the cultures grow on Low-enstein or 7H9 media. Heat-killed suspensions of the 4th and 6th subcultures provoke Mitsuda-type late skin reactions in tuberculoid, borderline and borderline-tuberculoid but not in lepromatous leprosy volunteers. When grown with (NH4)2SO4 as the N source (but not with the reducing agent ammonium thioglycolate) the subcultures multiplied abundantly in the foot pads of mice. It became evident that leprosy-derived, facultative psychrophilic mycobacteria really exist. Mycobacteria of this cluster do not distinguish between 14 or 16 C long chains with COOH or CH2OH as terminal bindings. Cells are quite aerophilic and grow preferentially on agar slant surfaces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)