Isolation of a characteristic phthiocerol dimycocerosate from Mycobacterium leprae.

A characteristic mycobacterial wax, phthiocerol dimycocerosate, has been isolated from liver of armadillos experimentally infected with Mycobacterium leprae. The structure of this wax is generally similar to that produced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but the homologous phthiocerol and the mycocerosic acid components from M. leprae are significantly different from those of M. tuberculosis.