Structure of mycobacterial bis-cyclopropane mycolates by mass spectrometry.

Methyl mycolate from a human strain (Brévannes) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been converted to the corresponding methyl neromycolate, the monketo-meromycolate, and the meromycolic pyrrolidide. The fragmentation pattern of each of these materials has been determined, and with information from a synthetic meromycolate serving as a basis of comparison, has been analyzed to obtain reliable structural assignments.