Cholesterol metabolism by Mycobacterium.

Cholesterol metabolism by Mycobacterium species ATCC Number 19652 was studied in defined media. Whole cells were found to take up 91% of the total cholesterol when incubated five days at 34 degrees C in media of pH 6.8-7.4. Uptake of cholesterol by whole cells could be significantly inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Growth media supernates as well as isolated microbial cell walls were found to contain cholesterol hydrolysing activity. This activity was extractable by Triton X-100 and appeared to have a molecular weight of approximately 100-200,000.