01732nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001653001700042653002600059653001200085653001400097100001500111700001800126700002000144700001800164245011000182300001000292490000700302520120300309022001401512       2014                            d10aTuberculosis10aMycolic acid profiles10aleprosy10adiagnosis1 aKowalski K1 aTrzepiński P1 aDruszczyńska M1 aBoratyński J00aMycolic acids - biological role and potential application in Mycobacterium detection and differentiation.  a350-80 v683 a<p>Mycolic acids are one of the basic structural elements of the cell wall of bacteria from Corynebacterineae suborder. These compounds are long-chain α-hydroxy β-alkyl fatty acids with two hydrocarbon chains: longer meromycolic and shorter α-chain meromycolic α-chain. The genus Mycobacterium is characterized by the presence of mycolic acids in length from 60 to 90 carbon atoms having a fully saturated α-chain with a defined length of 22, 24 or 26 carbon atoms. Current research indicates that not only the presence of mycolic acids in the cell wall of mycobacteria is essential for the virulence of mycobacteria. It is proved that the relationship between different types of mycolic acids, their length and the degree of cyclopropanation may vary depending on the stage of infection and mycobacterial culture conditions. At the same time it has been shown that some mycolic acid types are crucial for biofilm formation, antimycobacterial drug resistance or interactions with the immune system. Recent studies also indicate that analysis of mycolic acid profiles could be an alternative to conventional methods of diagnosis of diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy or mycobacteriosis.</p>  a1732-2693