Studies of Metabolism in Tuberculous Lesions : I. On the Mechanisms of N-acetyltyramine-formation From Tyramine by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis avium (Takeo) was cultivated in the culture media containing tyramine, a derivative of tyrosine, and also glucose as a carbon-source for new compounds for a twenty day period. Disintegration of tyramine was noticed in this experiment. In this process the following substances were obtained. 1) Tyrosol and para-hydroxyphenyl-lactic-acid like substances. 2) N-acetyltyramine and para-hydroxyphenyl-acetic acid. 3) Other unknown substances of Rf value 0.07 and 0.05 were detected by paper chromatogram. It is interesting to note that the growing process of mycobacterium in which became slower in relation to the decrease of the concentration of glucose in the culture media. By sterilizating the medium containing tyramine through high pressure for a certain period of time, a colour change of the medium to dark grey was sometimes noticed. Such a medium was not suitable for the cultivation of this bacillus. The formation of N-acetyltyramine could be observed even in the low concentration (0.1%) of glucose as carbon-source in the media. By decreasing the concentration of glucose in the culture media, a tendency of unchanged remainder of tyramine to increase in the media was noted. It is rather interesting that the growth of mycobacterium diminished in accordance with a loss in quantity of glucose. On sterilization of medium, through the process of high pressure for a incorrect time, we noticed that it was dark grey and the growth was not in a good condition. Besides the above mentioned, it was observed that N-Acetyltyramine was formed even with 1g. (0.1%) of glucose as C-source. It must be, once more reiterated that tyramine with a large quantity of glucose as carbon-source was almost spent and consequently the augmentation of existing tyramine still depended upon the decrease of glucose.